Rising Tide
by Amalia Santoro
Summary: Melody, now 18, is being shipped off to the kingdom of Arlington to meet an interested suitor, with Lieutenant Jim Hawkins as her bodyguard. When a mysterious gift from her grandfather, King Triton, turns out to be more powerful and dangerous than she could have imagined, things get a bit complicated.
1. Voyage

Melody packed the last of her things into her luggage and plopped down on her bed with an exasperated "huff," letting her arms spread out on either side.

"Tell me again why I agreed to this?" she asked her mother, who sat nearby in a plush chair.

"Because you are 18 years old and must at least consider the requests of any suitors who inquire," Ariel smirked at her daughter with a knowing look.

Melody rolled her eyes. "If this duke is so interested in me, then why does he not come here? Why do I have to sail all the way to his kingdom?"

"Oh, I am sure that he wants to impress you by showing off his palace, his kingdom, and his loyal subjects. He is throwing a ball in your honor as well, so please promise me that you will be cordial with him? Who knows? You might even like him!"

"And in the likely event that I do not?" Melody crossed her arms.

Ariel slowly got up from her seat to perch next to her daughter.

"Then you thank him for his hospitality and come straight home. There will be plenty of suitors, trust me. And if all else fails, I'm sure your grandfather could find a suitable merman for you," she nudged Melody in the ribs playfully, who burst out laughing. The idea of the King of the Sea playing matchmaker was just too much. Although she had only known him for the past 6 years, it was long enough to know that he would not be very good at selecting a marriage mate for a headstrong princess.

"I suppose I can live with that," she finally replied. "I wish you and Dad could come with me though. This trip is going to be so long and boring by myself." Ariel sighed and leaned back against the mounds of pillows that Melody had arranged on her bed, smoothing her dress over her protruding belly.

"I know dear, but I can barely walk on the beach without getting nauseous. A month long voyage at this point would not be much fun for any of us if I came with you. Besides, you won't be alone..." Ariel said cryptically.

"What do you mean? Do I get to bring a friend?" Melody sat up with curiosity.

"Well, not exactly...we hired a young officer from the naval academy to accompany you on your trip. He came very highly recommended."

"Awe, mom! I am 18 years old, I don't need a babysitter!" she complained, feeling as though she were being treated like she was 12 again.

"Bodyguard, not a babysitter, " her mother corrected her. "We just want you to be safe. And he will keep out of your hair, I promise."

Melody really did not want to argue with her mother right before going on such a long trip, especially when ultimately, it really wasn't that big of a deal. At least she would have someone new to talk to.

"Alright, fine, " she finally acquiesced. "When do I get to meet him?"

"Tomorrow morning, when you board the ship." The queen looked relieved that the young princess was not protesting further, as she herself would have done when she was her age. She struggled to sit up, wobbling back and forth on the plush mattress beneath her.

"Will you help me up please?" Ariel finally asked. Melody giggled and pulled her mother up to a standing position. "Thank you dear. Oh, I almost forgot! Your grandfather is coming by tonight to see you off. He asked that you meet him at the rock at sunset." Melody's demeanor suddenly perked up and she clapped her hands in delight.

"I'll go meet him right now! The sun is already getting low!" She squealed happily. "Goodnight Mom!"

"Goodnight sweetie! Your father and I will see you in the morning before you take off!" Ariel waved at her daughter as she disappeared down the hallway.

* * *

Melody wasted no time running to the shoreline. She was already wearing a light camisole and breeches, which the royal tailor had custom made for her so she could go swimming. Dresses simply were not made for water. She waded out onto the coral reef, which extended a few dozen feet out from the sandy beach. As the reef dropped off and the water deepened, Melody dove underwater and relished the feel of the saltwater on her bare skin. She felt so alive out here!

She skimmed along the surface, easily holding her breath for the three minutes it took to reach the "rock" - a small formation of land jutting out of the ocean. Her mother had often met Scuttle the seagull here to bring new discoveries and discuss her human treasures. Now Melody sat on the edge of the rock, dangling her feet in the open water while she watched the sun begin to set. It wasn't long before the water began to bubble in front of her, and the sea king himself emerged from the crystal blue depths. Melody jumped into his arms and he embraced her tightly, a hearty chuckle emanating from deep within his chest.

"Now when did my granddaughter get so big?" he joked.

"Grandfather, it's only been a few months since I've last seen you!" Melody laughed.

"Of course, you are absolutely right! This is why you need to come visit me more often." The mighty king actually seemed to pout as he said this.

"You know that I would if I could! I wish I could visit you in Atlantica for the summer instead of sailing to meet that silly Duke of Arlington." She folded her arms in disgust at the mere thought of her suitor.

"I know," King Triton chuckled. "But as a princess, you must fulfill your royal obligations. No matter how silly they may seem." She scowled at him. He then softened his demeanor, remembering that she was his granddaughter, and he was not her parent.

"Did you bring your locket?" he asked with a glint of mischief in his eyes.

"Yes, I always wear it." She clutched the golden seashell hanging around her neck.

"Open it up, please. I have something I want to give you before your journey tomorrow."

"A gift? Oh grandfather, you shouldn't have!" She popped open the locket, which released a small bubble that floated above the shell, displaying a watery image of Atlantica surrounded by merfolk. It also played her mother's lullaby that she used to sing to her when she was very young.

King Triton then produced a brilliant blue pearl from what seemed like thin air. It was every shade of blue all at once; its iridescence seemed to capture a small piece of the very ocean itself!

"It's beautiful!" Melody exclaimed. "I've never seen a pearl like this before…"

"It's one of a kind," her grandfather winked at her. "Now, you must be very careful not to lose it or let it fall into the wrong hands," he warned.

"Of course, you know I'm always careful. But what exactly is so special about this pearl?" Melody's curiosity was piqued now. The king just placed the pearl inside her locket and closed it.

"You will see in time. It will reveal its true nature to you, when you are ready."

"I don't understand…" Melody pressed him, but he cut her off.

"Now now, you have a very big day tomorrow and you need to get a full night's sleep, young lady." It was clear that she would get no further explanation of the pearl, so she hugged him tightly and bid him goodnight after thanking him for the beautiful, yet mysterious, gift.

* * *

The next morning was bustling with activity as the servants clamored to get everything prepared for Melody's send-off. Trundles of clothing and gifts for the kingdom of Arlington, as well as crates of food and tools were being hauled aboard The Rising Tide - a trustworthy ship from King Eric's royal fleet. It had stood the test of time and was in excellent condition, so the king had naturally chosen it to be the ship that would take his daughter across the sea.

Melody brushed her hair quickly before tying it back into a ponytail. She wore a simple travel dress in a pale coral shade, along with her tan leather boots. She had securely fastened her locket around her neck just prior to getting dressed. Grabbing her messenger bag, she quickly headed downstairs to meet her parents.

"Melody honey, you look beautiful, How did you sleep last night?" her father asked.

"Thank you Dad," she curtsied. "I slept decently enough, I suppose."

"Ahh excited for the dawn of a new voyage?" he hugged her excitedly. "I couldn't sleep either, and I don't even get to go! You get all the fun!"

"Well you know Dad, we could always arrange for you to go woo the Duke of Arlington. I'll happily stay home and take care of Mom." Melody teased him, pretending to set down her bag.

He laughed good-naturedly. "Nice try, but I wouldn't want to take this opportunity from you. You're going to have a great time!"

"Your father is just feeling deprived of the ocean and is getting a bit stir crazy, having to stay home with me for the past few months," Ariel laughed along. "But come along, you don't want to be late!"

"Pretty sure I wouldn't mind missing the departure..." Melody said under her breath. She knew her parents were trying to hype her up, and while being anywhere near the sea made her happy, it didn't take away from the fact that she was not looking forward to the destination.

* * *

"All aboard!" shouted the captain. He greeted Melody with a salute. "Ahoy princess! Welcome aboard the Rising Tide! Captain Henley Howell at your service," he bowed.

"Thank you captain. No doubt you will provide a stable passage overseas," Melody saluted back, setting down her parcels. The captain nodded with a smile and then gestured to the young man on his left, who was dressed in a navy blue waistcoat with brass buttons and tan trousers. Melody had never seen him before, so she rightly assumed him to be her hired bodyguard.

"This is Lieutenant James Hawkins. He will act as your royal bodyguard both on this ship and once we dock in Arlington."

"How do you do, Mr Hawkins?" she curtsied politely.

"Very well. Thank you, your majesty. May I help you with your things?" he reached to pick up one of her bags. She moved to pick up her smaller, exploration bag.

"I've got this one - thank you," she explained hurriedly. She didn't want him to sneak a peak and wonder what a princess was doing with a hunting knife, and why the inside of her bag was covered in tar. No, that conversation was better left off alone.

"As you wish, allow me to show you to your cabin," he gestured to the right. She followed him further into the ship as he guided her to her room. They didn't talk much - Melody wasn't one for bringing up topics of conversation, and as it turned out, neither was the lieutenant. At last they made it to her cabin, which was a decently sized room with a large porthole offering a glimpse of the sea beyond. Melody, tossed her bag onto the bed as Mr Hawkins set her other bags down near the door.

"I'm sure you'd probably like to rest, so I'll leave you now. I will be next door should you need anything," he turned to leave.

"Rest? We haven't gone anywhere yet!" she said incredulously. In fact, I had planned on spending most of the day out on deck."

He seemed slightly taken aback. _Probably not used to looking after someone as stubborn as me_, Melody thought with a smirk.

"As you wish, your majesty," he held the door open for her.

"Mr Hawkins, 'your majesty' is my mother. You may simply call me Melody, unless that would get you into trouble with the captain?" she hoped he wouldn't argue on this. Titles were so annoying, and unnecessary in her opinion. To her surprise, he conceded.

"Very well, Melody. On one condition..." She looked at him, slightly surprised, and genuinely curious.

"And what might that condition be, Mr Hawkins?"

"Just call me Jim." She could have sworn he winked at her.


	2. Mischief

The sun was high in the sky as the _Rising Tide_ pushed further north towards the Kingdom of Arlington. It was balmy and warm, causing Melody to reconsider her attire. Jim was standing at attention nearby as she fanned herself and sought shelter in the shade. This was so boring, exactly what she was afraid of, and Jim was not inclined to speak unless spoken to. She had brought a book with her, but she would rather be having a real adventure as opposed to reading about one. She glanced at Jim, wondering what could be on his mind.

* * *

Jim stood in the shade keeping an eye on Melody. He honestly wasn't sure why she needed a bodyguard while on a royal ship with a trusted crew, but orders were orders. This was his final test as part of his four-year training with the Intergalactic Space Academy, which he had joined when he was just 17. All he had to do was blend in with the local population and survive without the use of the advanced technology that he had grown accustomed to. If anyone learned his secret, it would result in immediate expulsion. He had, however, been allowed to keep a communicator for emergencies only.

They had only been sailing for about an hour or so, but he was already bored out of his mind. In his younger years, he would have scrapped together a solar surfer from spare parts and sneaked off for a little fun. But he was more mature now, and had greater responsibilities to care for. One little slip up and he could kiss his scholarship goodbye. He wanted to build a better life for he and his mother, Sarah, who was managing the Benbow Inn back home on Montressor. The inn was originally destroyed by bloodthirsty pirates seeking the map to Treasure Planet, but with the handful of coins that Silver had managed to save from the crumbling planet, he and his mother rebuilt it. That money was long gone now though, and he needed to secure his place in the academy in order to provide for his mother. Living the responsible life certainly was more stable, and he always knew what the next day was going to bring. Therein lied the problem though, he _always_ knew what his day looked like. He really missed the danger and adventure of sailing on the RLS Legacy in pursuit of treasure, and fighting off treacherous pirates. Those were the good old days...

He suddenly realized that he had been daydreaming, and Melody was nowhere in sight!

Regaining his composure, he walked the length of the deck, glancing around with his sharp eyes. _She couldn't have gotten far..._

Then he saw a curious shadow moving across the wooden boards at his feet, and upon looking up, he saw none other than the princess, swinging from the ropes above!

It only took a moment for Jim to decide what he was going to do about this...

* * *

_5 minutes earlier..._

Melody had just put down her book in resignation when she noticed that Jim's gaze seemed foggy and faraway, as though he was looking at something far beyond the sky. So she slowly got up from her lounge without him noticing and crept away to find something fun to do. Once he was out of sight, she hid behind a stack of crates and began to remove her heavy skirts and bustle, leaving herself wearing nothing but her tan corset and linen pantaloons. When her wardrobe change was complete, she pulled herself up onto the crates and then hoisted herself into the rigging, climbing upwards into the shrouds of the ship.

The wind was whipping at the sails and causing the ropes to sway to and fro, so Melody took it as a challenge to see how high up she could make it before Jim noticed that she was gone. Taking a deep breath, she leaped from the rigging to a single rope as the ocean breeze pushed it towards her, clenching her fists tightly once they made contact. The feeling of free-falling, if only for a second, was exhilarating! She repeated this maneuver until she had almost made it up to the crow's nest, which she was careful to avoid, lest the sailor who was posted there as a lookout should catch her.

She stopped for a moment to rest in the upper rigging, and clutched her locket in one hand. Carefully, she opened it, revealing the blue pearl safely cradled inside. She still wondered why her Grandfather had given her such a valuable gift, much less given her no explanation as to its purpose. Could it be a family heirloom? A priceless royal trinket? Or something more?

"Ya know, if all you wanted was to be left alone, you could have just said so."

Melody snapped her locket shut and whirled around to see Jim hanging from the rigging behind her. He laughed at her surprise.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you," he said sincerely. "Whatcha got there?"

"Uhhh, just a gift from my grandfather," she answered vaguely. "How did you get up here so quickly?"

"I might ask you the same thing! And forgive my forwardness, but, _where is your dress? _" he glanced down at her pants.

"On the deck," she answered nonchalantly. "I couldn't very well manage to get all the way up here in such restrictive clothing."

"No, I suppose not," he smirked at how she obviously didn't see a problem with any of this. Honestly, he was just relieved to actually be _doing _something. "I also suppose I should try to convince you to come back down."

"You'll have to catch me first!" and with that, she swung past Jim on a nearby rope.

"Why, you little minx!" Jim feigned offense at her abrupt departure before swinging after her.

Melody climbed as fast as she could, already running out of breath from laughter. Once she reached the end of the rigging, she looked back and saw Jim quickly gaining on her. She had nowhere else to go now, and he knew it. _Or so he thought..._

* * *

Jim had finally caught up to Melody, who was now literally at the end of her rope. He couldn't believe how easily she had evaded him. He certainly knew his way around a ship, but she was putting him to shame! He stopped a few feet away from her, savoring his victory.

"Looks like I win!" he shouted over the wind.

"Not even close!" she stared him down, narrowing her eyes. Before Jim could even process what was happening, she had launched herself backwards, heading straight for the waves. _This girl was crazy!_

He would surely be fired for this. If any harm came to the princess, he could be sentenced to the gallows for his negligence, and losing his job would be the least of his worries. _How could I have been so careless? _At any rate, he knew sitting up there berating himself would do neither him nor Melody any good. So he did what any reasonable seaman would do. He jumped.

* * *

Melody shot through the surface of the water, descending deep beneath the waves. She was sure to intake as much air as her lungs could fit before she went under, and she knew she could stay under for at least 3 minutes before her body begged for oxygen. She was waiting to see if Jim would follow her lead. While she didn't know him well, he seemed like the fearless adventurer type. He did follow her up into the shrouds of the ship, after all.

Not more than 30 seconds later, Melody heard a large splash. Her ears were able to pick up sounds crystal clear underwater, thanks to her aquatic lineage, so she heard very clearly when Jim called her name. She decided to pretend she didn't hear him, however, choosing instead to startle _him_ this time. She swam up behind him, like a shark going in for the kill. He was kicking his feet to stay afloat as she neared him. With a sudden tug, she had successfully dunked him underwater. He immediately swam back up, sputtering seawater as he caught his breath.

"Melody?" he looked around nervously. "That better have been you!"

Melody giggled and expended the rest of her oxygen, forcing her to surface. She appeared right next to Jim, who nearly jumped a foot out of the water.

"Sorry, didn't mean to startle you," she said sarcastically.

"Me? Startled? You're going to be the death of me is more like it!" He whipped his drenched bangs out of his face. Melody laughed harder at his apparent frustration.

"Oh come on, Jim! Live a little!" she splashed him playfully.

"Yeah, yeah. Just do me a favor and warn me the next time you plan on pulling a stunt like that." He cupped his hands and squirted water back at her, earning him another giggle.

"Aye aye, captain!" she mock saluted him, then dove back under.

Jim rolled his eyes in amusement and followed after her as she swam back towards the ship.

Melody reached up and grasped the rope ladder hanging from the side of the ship, using the wooden rungs to climb back topside. Jim followed a bit slower as the weight of his waterlogged uniform weighed him down. Finally they reached the railing and pulled themselves aboard, coming face to face with Captain Howell.

Jim immediately stood up straight and saluted to his captain. Melody stood at his side looking slightly apologetic.

"Lieutenant Hawkins, is there a reason you and the princess are both soaking wet? Furthermore, I must inquire of her attire, or rather, lack thereof." He folded his arms and waited for an explanation.

"It was my fault, Captain Howell. I leaned too far over the railing and fell overboard. Jim jumped in and saved me," Melody covered for him. "As for my clothing, I had to remove my skirts as they became too heavy for me to swim in."

"Very well, you are free to return to your cabin and retrieve clean clothes, your majesty," the captain bowed as she made her exit. She glanced back at Jim and mouthed the words "I'm sorry" before scampering back to her cabin.

"As for you, Lieutenant, come see me in my quarters immediately after retrieving some dry clothing for yourself. I won't have you dripping all over my office."

"Yes sir!" Jim saluted and marched obediently back to his own quarters.

* * *

Henley Howell sat at his mahogany desk, examining the large map that he had spread out before him. Provided that they only met clear weather ahead, they should make it to their destination in a week's time. Perhaps even faster if they continued sailing through the night. A steady knock sounded at the door.

"Come in," he replied.

Jim appeared in the doorway, dried off and dressed in a clean uniform. The captain stood up and beckoned him to come nearer.

"Did you enjoy your swim?" He asked with a stern look.

"Sir, it's not what you think -" Jim began to explain, but Henley held up a hand to silence him.

"Jim, I like you. You have great potential. It would sadden me deeply if you were to waste the opportunity you have landed." His face softened a bit. "I know you intended no harm, and I also know that Princess Melody can be a handful. Just take control of the situation next time, yes?"

"Absolutely sir. Is that all?" Jim asked.

"Actually, that isn't the only reason I wanted to speak with you. Please, have a seat," he gestured to the wooden chair in front of his desk as he sat down in his own.

"What is it?" Jim stationed himself in the indicated seat as Henley pulled a small tablet out of the desk drawer.

"About 20 minutes ago, the energy readings on my scanner went off the chart," he tapped the screen to display a glowing green hologram above his desk. It was a line graph that held steady for a bit, before suddenly spiking to the top, then back down again.

"What do you think could have caused that?" Jim leaned forward intently, examining the chart. "I've rarely seen readings like this before; definitely not here on Earth."

"Whatever it was, it was very close. I might even venture to guess that it's on the ship with us." Henley swiped the graph out of sight and put the tablet away. "I want you to keep a sharp eye out for anything peculiar, you understand?"

"Of course sir," Jim thought back to what he saw, or thought he saw, in Melody's locket right before she hid it from him. Some sort of blue orb. It almost reminded him of...no, it couldn't be. Although that would explain the energy spike. He decided to keep this information to himself for now, at least until he could confirm what he saw.

"Jim? You look as though you have something to say," the captain pressed him.

"No sir, just trying to remember the last time I saw something that powerful," he lied.

"Very well, you are dismissed," the captain stood up. "And don't forget what I said; keep your wits about you."

"Yes sir," Jim saluted and left the captain's quarters.

* * *

Melody was waiting a few steps outside the captain's cabin. She had thrown on a simple navy blue frock and let her hair down to dry in the afternoon sun. Once she caught sight of Jim, she ran up to him anxiously.

"You didn't get into trouble did you? I'm so sorry if you did; I didn't mean for us to get caught," she rambled on.

"Nah, just a slap on the wrist. It's fine," he winked at her.

"Are you sure? I just feel terrible about the whole thing. I never should have goaded you into chasing me," she glanced down at her feet.

"Hey, believe me, you didn't make me do anything I didn't want to do," he assured her.

"So...you _wanted_ to chase me?" She looked back up at him, her cheeks slightly red.

"That came out wrong!" he rubbed the back of his head awkwardly.

"Right...well, I still want to make it up to you. Come with me!" she grabbed his arm and pulled him along.

"Where are we going?" he asked, following her quickly.

"It's a surprise!" she grinned as she led him down below the deck.

They finally reached the galley, which was empty. Melody instructed Jim to have a seat at one of the tables as she rummaged around until she found a tin plate and a couple of drinking chalices. She then opened a couple of the barrels and produced a handful of crackers and some dried meat, which she arranged on the plate. Finally, she found a bottle of wine and filled their chalices about halfway.

"I present to you, your dinner!" she said with a flourish before sitting down across the table.

"Well thank you very much, Chef Melody," Jim was impressed by the small meal that she had managed to scrap together.

"Dig in! Swimming works up a good appetite, so let me know if you want more," she picked up a cracker to nibble on.

"Do you go swimming often?" he asked, picking up a piece of the salted meat.

"As often as I can. I love being out in the ocean; it's always felt like home to me," she took a sip of wine. "For the first 12 years of my life though, I wasn't allowed near the ocean."

"Oh yeah? Why was that?" he inquired.

"My parents were paranoid that I would drown or get eaten by a shark", she answered carefully. While not the real reason, it wasn't exactly a lie.

"Ah, I can sorta relate. My dad wasn't around, but my mother was overprotective of me. She wouldn't let me do anything fun, so I often got myself into trouble surfing behind her back."

"Surfing?" Melody cocked her head in confusion.

"Oh, yeah uh, surfing the waves, you know? It's a new sport," he lied. _Way to go idiot, you almost had to explain to her what solar surfing was._

"Sounds exciting! Maybe you can teach me someday," her eyes sparkled with delight at this prospect.

"Yeah, maybe," Jim agreed. _Like when, genius? She's probably going to be engaged and married within the next month._ He suddenly stood up from the table.

"I uh, I should really be getting to bed now. Thank you again for dinner, it was delicious," he patted his stomach.

"You're welcome," she smiled softly. "Thank you for entertaining me today, it was fun."

"Yeah," he stood in the doorway awkwardly. "Well, goodnight princess."

"Goodnight Jimothy," she answered. He turned back with a confused look on his face.

"I told you to call me Melody," she laughed. "I hate titles."

"Fair enough," he smiled. "Goodnight Melody." And with that he left her alone in the galley.


	3. Overboard

Melody finished off her wine in solitude. She wasn't ready to go to bed yet, although it was getting late. It was funny, at the beginning of the trip, she was determined to give Jim the slip in protest of being assigned a bodyguard. Now though, she found herself missing his company after he retired to his cabin. She supposed it was due to the fact that she didn't really have friends. Not close ones anyway. So after spending the day with Jim, she had experienced what she had been missing, and she was disappointed when he left. There were so many questions that she had wished to ask him. What was it like being a lieutenant in the royal navy? How long had he been in service? What was his home like? She was certain that he could astonish and amaze her with stories of his adventures, and she envied that. She envied his freedom and the simple fact that he was able to choose what he wanted to do with his life. Her parents and royal obligations dictated most of her life so far, and she had a feeling that would continue despite no longer being a child.

_That's one good thing about being on this trip_, she thought smugly. With the exception of Jim, she answered to no one on this ship. How ironic, that the most freedom she had ever enjoyed was because of a Duke who sought her hand in marriage and would take that freedom away. She poured herself another glass of wine. Maybe it would help her sleep...

* * *

Jim finished hanging up his uniform in the small wardrobe of his cabin and pulled on a white nightshirt. He sat on the edge of his bed, processing the events of the day. This job was supposed to be simple. Protect the princess and get her to Arlington. Now, he suspected that she was in possession of one of the most powerful weapons in the galaxy.

One of the bedtime stories that his mother used to read to him told the legend of 4 elemental stones. There was fire, air, earth...and water. They were too powerful if wielded by one person, so they were scattered across the universe and hidden for centuries. Jim couldn't explain why, but he was certain that it was the Sea Stone Melody kept hidden in her locket. He had no idea how she would have obtained it, or if the legends were even true. It was just a gut feeling. There was also the fact that Captain Howell's scanner went off the charts at roughly the same time that Jim had snuck up on Melody in the rigging earlier. Perhaps her locket provided some sort of shield that blocked the energy source, and the moment she opened it the scanner was able to pick up its signature.

He had just blown out the candle when the ship suddenly lurched to one side. He was thrown violently to the floor, catching the corner of the nightstand. He stood shakily, his vision swimming. Something wet was running down the side of his face, but he ignored it. Shoving his boots on and stuffing his communicator into his pocket, he stumbled out the door and into the corridor. He struggled to keep his balance as the ship was rocked by the angry sea. Crew members were shouting and racing to their posts to tie down loose cargo and secure the rigging.

Jim made it to the upper level where Melody's cabin was and rapped on the door. No answer. He threw open the door as a crack of lightning lit up the sky, exposing Melody's empty bed. _Where on earth could she possibly be?_ Then Jim remembered. The galley. He raced back downstairs, his heart pounding.

* * *

The movement of waves rocking her back and forth made Melody feel at home. At first, the waves were gentle, and she was comforted by the constant swaying. But all of a sudden, she was being carried atop a giant tidal wave, and as it broke, she tumbled through the air. Instead of splashing into the water, however, she hit solid ground.

Her eyes snapped open and she realized that she was on the floor of the galley. _Must've fallen asleep_, she thought groggily. She moved to stand up and was thrown back to the floor as the ship shuddered from the storm. Her empty chalice slid off the table and she rolled quickly to avoid being smashed by the glass. She was wide awake now.

Now on her hands and knees, she used the bolted down table to pull herself to her feet. Determined to stay upright this time, she reached out to the walls to steady herself and pressed forward. She had almost made it to the staircase, when the ship lurched tremendously and she flew forward. Her eyes squeezed shut in anticipation of hitting the wooden stairs, but instead she found herself in a strong embrace.

"Jim!" she cried out. "You're bleeding!"

"It's nothing, we need to get topside!" he wrapped his arm around her and pushed her up the stairs.

Once they reached the deck, they were blasted by icy gusts of wind and mist. Jim held Melody close to prevent her from being swept away. She clutched at her locket, rubbing it with her thumb. She had experienced storms at sea, but nothing like this!

"Hawkins!" shouted Captain Howell from the helm. "Go secure your lifelines!"

"Come on!" Jim shouted above the wind. They ran towards the center mast where there were dozens of ropes for securing passengers. He grabbed one and tied it around Melody's waist first. Then he grabbed another rope for himself, but before he could securely fasten it around himself, a monstrous wave rushed over the ship, sweeping anything loose right off the side, including Jim.

Melody had tried to reach his outstretched hand but the water was greedy. Jim was gone in the blink of an eye, swallowed by the sea.

"JIM!" she screamed. She struggled to untie the rope, but Jim had used a sailor's knot that she could not budge. Luckily, she had the forethought of strapping her hunting knife to her thigh when she changed earlier, which she quickly unsheathed. It took a few tries, but she finally sliced her lifeline. Using the swaying ship to fuel her momentum, she sprinted across the deck and leaped off the ship. Captain Howell, meanwhile, was struggling to keep the ship's bow pointed into the waves. He witnessed the entire incident.

"Man overboard!"

* * *

Jim wasn't sure what hit him. One moment he was tying his lifeline, the next he saw nothing but darkness. He gasped from surprise and immediately gagged on seawater. His arms were flailing about trying to find something, anything, to grab hold of. His fingertips grazed the railing as he went overboard. The force of the impact sucked him down into the ocean. He couldn't tell which way was up, so he had to stay still just long enough to see in which direction he floated towards. Bubbles escaped from his mouth as he struggled to hold his breath.

Finally, he made it to the surface. He inhaled air so sharply that it burned his lungs. No sooner had he taken a deep breath than another wave pounded him, pulling him under even deeper than before. His head was aching and he was feeling more and more sluggish from blood loss. _No, I am not going down like this_, he thought stubbornly. His limbs were quickly becoming exhausted though. The relentless cycle of trying to keep his head above water and swimming back to the surface each time he was pulled under was draining his energy.

_What I wouldn't give for my re-breather,_ he thought as more debris was thrown from the ship. He moved to avoid being hit, but didn't notice the netting that was wrapped around one of the crates. It snagged his foot and dragged him down into the depths. The more he kicked, the more entangled his foot became, and the more tired he felt. His vision narrowed to a pinpoint of light as he descended into the darkness.

* * *

Melody dove into the raging waves and her eyes immediately adjusted to the dark, murky water. She anxiously scanned the area where Jim was thrown. Nothing. With the ferocity of the storm, she was afraid that he was lost to the sea. Her ears suddenly perked up at the sound of something nearby. Hoping it was Jim, she looked up to see a crate falling straight towards her! It was sinking so fast that she was caught underneath and dragged down with it.

After what seemed like forever, she finally hit the bottom, still pinned under the crate. Her breath was almost spent, and her lungs were on fire, begging for air. The instinct not to inhale water was rapidly being overcome by her body's need to breathe. On the verge of losing consciousness, she involuntarily took a breath, flooding her lungs with water.

_This is it_, Melody despaired. How ironic that the daughter of a mermaid would drown at sea. Then realization washed over her. She wasn't drowning? She actually felt _relief_ from the intake of water. The sides of her neck tickled as tiny bubbles flowed out from almost imperceptible slits in her skin. _Gills? That isn't possible!_ She laid against the sand, gulping in huge mouthfuls of water to recover from the lack of oxygen. As her head started to clear, she remembered why she was there in the first place. _Jim!_

She was still trapped and her legs had gone numb, crushed under the weight of the cargo. She looked around helplessly for something she could use as leverage to lift it. There was nothing remotely useful. _Come on, move!_ she pounded against the wooden panels. As she did so, the water itself seemed to push against the crate in her behalf, shoving it off of her legs. She rose from the sand and stared at her hands in disbelief, before shaking her head. _Too much wine. I'm hallucinating_. She kicked her feet and headed back to the surface, searching for Jim along the way. A few more crates drifted past her, but this time she was sure to get out of the way. A flash of white caught her eye, and she immediately gave chase to the sinking debris. It was Jim!

The crate was sinking fast, taking Jim with it. Melody reached him and attempted to pull him away, but soon noticed that his foot was trapped in some sort of net. She still had her knife; she could cut him free, but there was no telling how long Jim had been under. Thinking quickly, she locked lips with him and exhaled all the oxygen her gills had filtered from the water. She knew it wasn't much, but it would buy him some time. After doing this a few times, she reached down and sawed away at the netting, finally releasing his foot. By this time, they had sunk to the bottom. Melody's lungs were adapted to the pressure at this depth, but she feared what might happen to Jim if she couldn't get him to the surface soon.

She wished her aching legs would move faster! They felt like they were being pricked by thousands of pins and needles. She paid it no heed and concentrated on reaching the surface, driven by pure adrenaline.

Judging that they still had a minute to go, she paused briefly to give Jim more air. She hoped it wasn't in vain. _I have to move faster,_ she thought as she drew her legs together and starting moving them in unison to try to pick up some speed. She hardly noticed when her legs started to stretch and fuse together. All she knew was that she was nearly to the surface and she was swimming as fast as she could.

They broke through the surface at breakneck speed and were greeted by a roaring wave. Melody threw an arm up in a futile attempt to block it. To her astonishment, the wave actually obeyed her and reversed direction! _That definitely wasn't an illusion..._

A large piece of driftwood was floating nearby, which Melody used to prop Jim up safely above the water. He was still unconscious and his lips were turning blue. She had to get him breathing again! She tried chest compressions, but without a solid surface, all she succeeded in doing was making him bob up and down. Frustrated, she slammed her hands against his chest, tears streaming from her eyes. Then she noticed something. Water seemed to be flowing out of Jim's mouth and nostrils, as if attracted to her hands. She wasn't sure how she was doing this, but she didn't stop until every last drop had been siphoned from his lungs. Then she pinched his nose and placed her mouth over his, creating a seal. With short, steady breaths, his chest finally began to rise and fall.

* * *

Jim jolted upright, coughing violently. The last thing he remembered was being ripped off the ship and thrown overboard. Melody was squeezing him tightly.

"I thought you were dead!" she sobbed. Jim could only respond with wheezing. His eyes and throat stung terribly, and his whole body felt so drained and tired. He started shivering uncontrollably as he realized that they were floating in the middle of the ocean. The _Rising Tide_ was nowhere in sight.

The next thing he knew, Melody had wrapped her arms around him, like she was attempting to cover as much of his body with hers as possible. He would have blushed had he not been so out of it. Finally, he felt like he could manage to speak without having another coughing fit.

"W-what are you...d-doing?" he asked hoarsely.

"I'm sharing my body heat. If you get too cold, you could go into shock," she explained. "Although it's rather pointless as long as we're in this water."

_What happened? _Jim wondered.

"You were thrown overboard before you could tie yourself to the mast," Melody seemed to read his mind. "And you were underwater for at least 4 minutes. You're lucky to be alive."

_Wait, had the princess saved him?_ He vaguely recalled the sensation of Melody planting her lips on his. His thoughts were interrupted when he felt something scaly brush against his legs, making him nearly jump out of his skin.

"Jim, what's wrong?" Melody asked with concern.

"Just a f-fish or s-something," he replied. He just hoped it wasn't a shark since he could still feel his forehead oozing blood.

Melody drew back and looked around, scanning the water. She seemed to catch sight of something and froze.

"Mel?" Now it was Jim's turn to be concerned. Her tan complexion had drained to a sickly pallor. What had she seen?

* * *

Melody was speechless. There was no explanation she could come up with for what she saw, and what she saw was a bright coral colored tail complete with translucent fins where her legs should have been! She flicked it back and forth, still doubting that she could trust her eyes.

"Jim, I don't, er..." she began. There were no words. She would simply show him.

"What is it?" he was looking at her intensely.

"It wasn't a fish..." she sighed and curved her tail upward so that her fins broke the surface, right between she and Jim.

His eyes widened, still red from the saltwater, and he opened his mouth to say something. After a minute of unbearable silence, he finally spoke.

"Have you...always been able to do that?"

"It's not the first time this has happened, but it's a long story," she began.

"We've got nothing but time," he half smiled. Prompted by his positive change in demeanor, Melody began to tell him everything.


	4. Adrift

Melody finished her story, recounting the events after her 12th birthday party. The way the sea witch, Morgana, had tricked her into stealing her grandfather's trident for her so that she could control the seven seas. How she almost died getting it back and returning it to its rightful owner. And finally, how she had spent the summer months with her family in Atlantica every year since.

"Wow…so, let me get this straight. Your grandfather is the King of the ocean?" Jim had been listening intently to her tale. He was astounded. An entire world, completely hidden in the depths of the ocean. It was almost too much for him to comprehend in his weak state of mind, but he had been trying his best to pay attention. It helped him stay awake.

"Yeah, I didn't even know he existed until 6 years ago. The worst part was how I blamed my parents for keeping the truth from me. I felt betrayed. And I felt it justified running away. It almost cost me everything," it was therapeutic, talking to someone about what she had been through.

"Well, to be honest, I would have done the same thing. You wanted answers, and you went after them. I think it was pretty brave of you, if a little misguided," Jim observed.

"_Misguided_?" Melody gave him a little splash. Jim laughed weakly, then shivered. "Oh my gosh, I am so sorry - you were finally dry!"

"It's okay, really," he assured her. When he had first regained consciousness, Melody had instructed him to lay flat on the driftwood to keep him out of the water. At first he had insisted that she should climb up instead, but then she explained that she was better able to regulate her body temperature in the water as a mermaid. He still had so many questions on that subject.

"So, can you only change when you're in the ocean?" he asked.

"Well, not exactly. Whenever I would visit my grandfather, he would use his trident to transform me into a mermaid. I've never been able to do it myself, so I'm not sure how or why it's happened now," she brushed her thumb over her locket. "Although I think it has something to do with…" she paused, debating on whether or not to tell Jim about the pearl. Her grandfather had made her promise to keep it safe, but she felt she could trust Jim.

"Something to do with what?" Jim prompted.

"Before coming on this trip, my grandfather gave me a parting gift. He wouldn't tell me much about it, only that I needed to keep it from falling into the wrong hands," she carefully opened the shell, revealing the blue pearl, which was now glowing. Jim's eyes widened.

"I've seen this before…" Jim was also debating on how much he should divulge.

"You have?" Melody wasn't sure where he was going with this. Had he been spying on her? He couldn't have seen it anywhere else since it originally came from Atlantica.

"Yeah, well, not in person. My mother used to read this story to me when I was younger, about these elemental stones. They were too powerful to be wielded by one person, so they were hidden across the universe. One of them was the Sea Stone, and there was a picture of it that looked exactly like this. It allowed its owner to control water…" Jim tried to remember what else the legend said.

"Control water, huh?" Melody repeated. "That would explain a few things."

Jim looked at her curiously as she focused on a spot in the water.

"Mel?"

Melody raised a hand, palm facing upward. A small orb of water simultaneously rose from the ocean, following her hand movement. She flicked her fingers away, sending the water droplets splashing a couple of feet away.

"Whoa…" they reacted in unison.

"So I guess that answers that," Jim declared.

"Why would my grandfather give this to me? If it's really as powerful as you say, then I shouldn't have it. It should still be locked away and guarded in Atlantica." Getting answers, as it turned out, only brought more questions.

"I'm sure he trusts you, and I bet he wanted a way to keep you safe while you were away from home. We would both be dead by now if it weren't for that stone," Jim tried to reassure her. He knew what it felt like to be in possession of a rare and mysterious artifact. Maybe the map to Treasure Planet wasn't as powerful, but he understood the responsibility just the same.

"I guess so…" Melody reflected on what Jim said. "I was even able to remove all of the water from your lungs when you almost drowned," she gave Jim a half smile, before giving him a most curious look.

"Is it bad...that I'm kind of glad we took this little detour?" she asked pointedly.

"Heh, speak for yourself! I'm still struggling to breathe over here!" Jim teased. "Seriously though, is the duke really so awful that you would rather be adrift in the ocean?"

"I wouldn't know, I haven't even met him yet to be honest!" Melody laughed. "However, if your question is, would I rather be lost in the middle of nowhere than have to marry some stranger, then my answer is, _absolutely_!"

"Well then, I can respect that," Jim smiled. "It must be rough being a princess, I take it? No sarcasm, I promise," Jim quickly added when he saw the glare Melody was starting to give him.

"Being royalty isn't all it's cracked up to be," she looked downcast. "I am the heir to my father's throne, and I am prepared to take over one day, but it just feels like my entire life has already been decided for me. I just wish I could live a life of adventure and do what I want, ya know?"

"More than you realize...I'll tell you the same thing an old friend once told me," a wistful smile warmed up Jim's face as he thought of Long John Silver. "You got the makings of greatness in you, but you gotta take the helm and chart your own course! Stick to it, no matter the squalls! And when the time comes, you'll get the chance to really test the cut of your sails and show what you're made of! And... well, I hope I'm there, catching some of the light coming off you that day."

Melody's face glowed with a bashful smile, and she hoped it was too dark for Jim to notice the blush rising in her cheeks. It was uncanny, the way he seemed to really understand her, like no one had before. He wasn't judging her dreams and aspirations, or telling her that she was out of her mind for wanting a different life. It was rather...nice.

"You know Jim, you're not at all what I was expecting when I was first told about you," she said finally.

"Sorry to disappoint you, princess," he teased.

"No I mean, you're really down to earth, and you don't treat me differently just because I'm a princess. Between you and me, I don't have many friends, so it's really nice to be able to just...talk with someone who understands me. Plus, I was expecting you to be really strict and not let me do anything fun!" she giggled, remembering how he had chased her through the rigging that same morning.

"Well, between you and I, I don't have a lot of friends either. And you are the complete opposite of what I had expected! I thought I was going to be stuck watching some bratty, stuck up princess," Melody stuck her tongue out at him in response. "But you're not like that at all...you're really kind, and adventurous. Plus you know, you did save my life, so I _guess_ that gives you extra points," he smirked at her, receiving a giggle.

"Oh yeah? What else do you like about me?" she batted her eyelashes flirtatiously.

"Oh fishing for compliments, are we?" he chuckled. "Well let's see...you're...reckless, unpredictable, stubborn…"

Melody had unwittingly leaned in closer and closer during their conversation, but now she was so close that their noses were almost touching. Up until this point, she hadn't really paid attention to his looks. Now though, she noticed how his eyes were the exact color of the stormy sea, and they contrasted attractively with his tan, leathery skin. She also noticed how his dark brown locks were hanging over his forehead, framing his furrowed brow as he squinted his eyes and chuckled. His jaw was so sharp and angular, yet there was a softness to him. He really was a handsome man…

* * *

Jim had trailed off in what he was saying, as he became slowly transfixed by Melody's big blue eyes. She was holding his gaze intently, and he noticed how the light from the moon highlighted her features. Her raven black hair, rosy cheeks, and that cute little nose…

_What? Have you completely lost your mind, Jim?! She's not available! And you are going to be gone within the next couple of months to graduate and receive your official assignment. This cannot happen!_

Jim tried to talk some sense into himself, but it was hard enough with his mind still being so hazy, without having this beautiful mermaid right in front of him, hanging on his every word. In fact, they had somehow ended up being drawn even closer to one another, and Jim couldn't help but imagine her rosy lips on his own. And was he imagining it, or was she leaning in with pursed lips? His eyelids grew heavy, and his breathing became even more ragged than it already was. His brain had officially turned off and he started acting on basic instinct. Their lips had nearly met, when he suddenly burst into another coughing fit.

Melody drew back, startled, before reaching out to steady him. His lungs were burning so badly, and his throat literally felt like someone had dragged sandpaper up and down its walls. He could hardly breathe, and tears were streaming down his face from the effort his body was making to expel irritants from his chest. It was honestly one of the more painful experiences of his life, and he couldn't seem to stop it.

* * *

Melody couldn't believe what had almost happened. _Was I really going to kiss Jim?_ She couldn't deny that there was a part of her that had wanted to, but she couldn't! She had only known him for a day and a half, and she was somewhat spoken for already. And yet, she would be lying to herself if she said she wasn't disappointed to have their moment interrupted. She couldn't even begin to explain her feelings, but she didn't have time to worry about that at the moment. _Jim needs water!_

She scooped up a handful of water, then closed her eyes and focused. She concentrated hard on the salt and other minerals in the seawater, and filtered those things out so that they evaporated into the air.

"Jim, drink this!" she then carefully directed the water to Jim's mouth, waiting for a break in his coughing. Jim was finally able to take a few sips of the fresh water, and it seemed to do the trick, as his coughing slowly abated while the water soothed his throat. He rolled over onto his back, exhausted. His eyes were closed and his mouth parted open as his regular breathing resumed.

"Jim, are you okay?" He didn't respond. She had to get him to land.

Scanning the horizon, she could not make out any distant spots of land. Her father had taught her various ways to find land at sea, but there were no birds to be seen at this time of night that she could follow to shore, and she was never much good at reading the stars. _Maybe the Sea Stone could help me…_

She opened her locket and focused on finding land, trying to somehow communicate to the stone what she wanted to do. The orb started to glow faintly, and as Melody slowly turned in a semi circle, it began to glow brighter, as if signaling that she was "getting warmer." She dove underwater briefly and resurfaced at the other end of the raft, near Jim's feet. She grabbed a hold of the edge and propelled them both forward with her powerful tail. She didn't stop for what seemed like hours.

* * *

The sun had just started rising above the sea, painting the sky with vibrant oranges, pinks, and purples. It was a shame that Jim was asleep and missed it. Melody was so very tired at this point, but she was determined to press forward. Finding land could mean the difference between life and death for Jim. She was not going to let him die on her watch.

Finally, she saw it: the sweet sight of the shoreline in the distance. Reinvigorated by her goal clearly in sight, she pumped her tail faster than she had ever thought it possible to move. She guided the raft carefully over the small waves of the tide that was rolling in, riding each one to build up their momentum. At last, she felt the rough sand under her belly and tail as they skidded onto shore.

* * *

Jim was jarred awake by the sudden impact and rolled into the sand, getting a mouthful of it. He began coughing and spitting and immediately crawled back to the water to bring a handful of water to his mouth and rinse it out. He ran his hands through his hair to shake the sand out of it as well. _What a wake-up call_, he thought to himself as he surveyed his surroundings.

Melody, meanwhile, was attempting to dislodge her fins from the wettest part of the sand. It had dug itself in, similar to a shovel, and she was struggling to pull it out. Under normal circumstances, it would have been no problem, as she had gained decent upper body strength from her summers as a mermaid. This particular occasion, however, followed a night of strenuous swimming, and her limbs were not thanking her. She tried one last pull, and ended up flat on her back, with half of her tail still entrenched in the sand. Giving up with a huff, she took this moment to finally rest. No sooner had she accepted her predicament, than a shadow suddenly blocked out the sunlight.

"Jim?" she squinted her eyes, attempting to make out the figure who stood over her.

"Need some help?"

"That would be nice," she smiled sheepishly, still thinking of the kiss they almost shared the night prior. He nodded and crouched down near where her fin was buried in the sand. He used his hands to dig her out of the impacted sand. Once she was free, he sat back a moment and stared in amazement. He hadn't really seen her entire tail yet, just the tip of her fins when she had shown him last night. It was really magnificent, the way each individual scale reflected different shades of red depending on how the light hit them. He suddenly remembered his manners and looked up at Melody.

"It's pretty cool, huh?" she asked him, flipping her fins as if she was wiggling her feet.

"It's beautiful," he replied with wide eyes.

"Thank you," she blushed and looked away. Jim liked the way she looked all flustered, it was rather cute. _No. __Don't you start that again!_ he mentally slapped himself. He stood up, clearing his throat.

"So now what? Shouldn't you be in the water?"

"Technically yes...but I can still breath air for small amounts of time without water. Besides, we need to stick together, and I am not sending you back into the ocean without a boat," she looked up at him sternly.

"Well, I'm not sure how far I can carry you, that tail looks pretty heavy," he stroked his chin.

"Did you just call my tail fat?" she looked at him with her mouth agape.

"What? No, I..." he stammered. Then Melody burst out laughing.

"I'm just kidding with you, Jim," she winked. "And I don't expect you to carry me. I have an idea."

Jim watched as she lifted the locket from her neck and tossed it in the sand next to her.

"I hope this works…" Melody said hopefully, sitting back and waiting for something to happen. After a minute of no change, Jim finally spoke.

"Maybe the Sea Stone is still too close to you?"

"That could be...here!" she threw the trinket in his direction, which he easily caught. "Now be careful with that! We don't need you turning into a merman!" she was only half joking.

"Don't grow a tail, got it," he crouched in the sand a few feet away, making an "okay" sign with his fingers.

* * *

Melody sat in the sand, still wearing her drenched navy dress, which had gathered around her waist. She discreetly pulled it down to her knees before any changes happened. _That would have been embarrassing_, she blushed again. Then suddenly, she felt a pit in her stomach. It started emanating heat, pulsing down her tail, all the way to her fins. It was a very odd sensation, not at all what it felt like when the trident transformed her. She could feel her tail shortening until it was the same length as her legs, pushing each rows of scales upward before they began shedding, falling off like dead skin and revealing fresh human flesh underneath. _Weird_, she thought to herself, _but so far, so good._

Then it hit her like a tidal wave. Her tail was pulling apart, preparing to separate into two limbs, and it was not pleasant. She could feel the central bones of her tail begin to crack and separate, forming the new structure needed for her legs. She winced as the pressure built up, then gasped in shock and pain as her tail started to tear down the middle. _This is a nightmare! Something must be wrong!_

"_Jim!_" she cried out through clenched teeth, digging her fists into the sand.

Jim was at her side in an instant, careful to leave the locket where he previously stood. He grabbed her by the arms and held her tightly against him as she writhed and moaned in discomfort. She clutched him like a lifeline as her legs finally took form, sealing up the tears in her skin. Next, her fins began to harden and thicken, until she had two long, webbed feet. They gradually shrank into their proper size and lost the webbing in between her toes. Finally, Melody could feel her gills closing and lying flat against her neck. She started hyperventilating, her brain readjusting to breathing without gills. It soon caught up with her new form, and instinctively told her to inhale deeply in order for her tiny lungs to inflate and expand into full size human ones. A sigh escaped her lips as she lost consciousness in Jim's protective embrace.


	5. Marooned

Just a quick Author's Note...

I wanted to thank everyone who is reading my story! I appreciate all of your reviews and support! Special shoutout to PurpleKorea134 who has been faithfully reading and leaving such nice reviews on each chapter :) Go check out her JimxAriel fanfic called The Palace Guard! Also, I post drawings that go along with this story on my DeviantArt; if you're interested in checking it out, my username is MissMochaccino :)

* * *

Melody felt sunlight burning through her eyelids. She shifted uncomfortably in the sand and glanced around at the palm trees all around her. _What had happened? Where was she?_ Her soggy dress was clinging to her legs, which were covered in sand. She stood up shakily and proceeded to brush off as much of it as possible. _Wait. She had legs again? _The last thing she remembered, she was still a mermaid. She had found land and gotten Jim ashore...then she took off her necklace...

She grasped at her neck and realized that she wasn't wearing it! Looking around frantically, she suddenly smelled food and followed the scent a few feet around the corner. There she found Jim crouching over a fire, cooking fish that he had impaled on a sharpened stick. His boots were lying near the fire and he had left his shirt hanging on a low-lying branch of a nearby tree to dry off in the sun. He stood up and turned around when he heard her approach, sticking his makeshift spear in the sand. Melody felt heat rise in her cheeks as she tried not to stare at his tanned chest and abdominal muscles. She knew she was being silly, for she was used to seeing mermen who wore no clothing at all. But this was different. She noticeably turned away to look at anything other than Jim.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to -" she stammered.

"No, I'm sorry, I wasn't expecting you to be up so soon. I thought I had enough time to let my clothes dry," he explained, grabbing his shirt and pulling it over his head. "Okay you can look now," he teased. Melody scoffed in amusement.

"Have you seen my locket?"

"Yeah, I've got it," he fished it out of his pocket and handed it to her. She tentatively raised it over her head to put it on. "Are you sure you wanna do that?"

"It should be fine. I think it only works if I'm in the water," she ventured to guess.

"If you say so," Jim was unconvinced.

"So, how long was I out?" Melody rubbed her eyes.

"About an hour or so. You had me scared for a minute there."

"Yeah, sorry...this is all new to me. It never hurt when my grandfather transformed me...this...Sea Stone must work differently somehow."

"A mystery for later, perhaps," Jim said with uncertainty. "Hungry? You eat fish, right...?" he gestured to a palm frond laying near the fire, stacked with freshly cooked fish.

"Only unintelligent fish, and I'm starving!" Melody could feel her mouth watering.

Jim just laughed and handed her a clean frond, placing a few fish on it.

"No really, I'm not joking," she sat down and took a bite of fish. "In Atlantica, most sea life are intelligent and considered citizens. The further away you travel, the more likely you are to find ordinary fish."

"Uh huh...and how do you tell the difference?" Jim raised an eyebrow, taking a seat across from Melody.

"Easy. Intelligent fish can talk," Melody said matter-of-factly. "And maybe I'm just really hungry, but this fish is excellent!"

"So, you can talk to fish?" Jim had stopped eating, curious about Melody's ever-growing list of special talents.

"Like I said, as long as they're intelligent," Melody nodded. "I know it's a lot to take in, but trust me on this."

"Hey, who am I to question a mermaid princess?" he held up his hands in defeat, then stood up. "I'll be right back; eat as many fish as you want."

* * *

When Jim had walked several feet away from camp, he pulled his communicator out of his pocket. After Melody had passed out, he carried her inland to find a good place to make camp, away from the tide. Then he remembered that he still had the device in his pocket, so he left it out to dry. Now he examined it, hoping it would still work. He pressed down a button on the side and heard static. That was a good sign.

"Captain Howell, this is Lieutenant Hawkins, do you read me?" he paused for a minute. No answer.

"Henley, it's Jim, do you read me?" another minute passed by with no response. _Darn it. Either water logged or Henley's simply not available. Gonna have to send out an SOS signal and hope he gets it._ Jim pushed the button on the opposite side and cleared his throat.

"SOS, this is Lieutenant James Hawkins from the Rising Tide. I am marooned on an island, current coordinates unknown. Track my location and find me inland."

That would have to suffice for now. He turned to head back to camp, and came face to face with Melody.

"Who were you talking to just now?" she looked confused, and she had every right to be. How was he going to explain himself?

"Uhhh," he began. _Oh, very clever Jim!_ He stuffed the communicator into his pocket, then ran a hand through his hair. Would it really be so bad to tell her? They were as good as dead if no one found them soon anyway. And she clearly trusted him with her biggest secret, so surely she could be trusted with his...

"Are you keeping secrets from me, Jim?" Melody smirked and crossed her arms.

"Okay, okay," he grasped his chin and paced back and forth, deliberating on where to begin. "Since you trusted me with your secrets, I'm going to trust you with mine, okay?"

"I'm listening," now her hands were on her hips.

"So, I'm not from around here," he started off vaguely. "Just like Atlantica being hidden in the ocean, I come from a place that's hidden in the sky," he pointed upwards, hoping she would understand what he was about to tell her. "The entire world you know, is called Planet Earth. I am from a different planet, miles and miles away."

"Wow...okay," Melody's eyes widened. "Another planet...cool!"

Jim was surprised at her reaction. Best case scenario, he thought she would freak out and be angry at him for essentially lying to her this whole time. Not only did she seem to comprehend the idea of another planet, but she seemed to be fascinated by it!

"So what was that thing you were talking to earlier?" she didn't skip a beat.

He pulled out the device again, displaying it on his open palm. "This is a communicator. It's a piece of technology that we spacers use to talk to other spacers long distances away. I was using it to send out an SOS to Captain Howell so he can find us."

"Captain Howell is from your planet too? And what's a 'spacer'?" she looked confused again.

"A spacer is basically your world's version of a sailor. Except our ships sail through space instead of water. And yes, the captain is my handler while I train here. We were both sent by the Intergalactic Space Academy, which is just our version of the Royal Navy," he explained as simply as he could, though he had to give Melody credit. She was a lot smarter and more open-minded than he would have thought.

"I see, so what are you training for? And why here...on...Earth?"

"Everyone has to train in a foreign world for their last year of training. We're each given a communicator to keep in contact with our handlers, but other than that, we have to learn to survive without the use of all the technology that we grew up with," he was really glad that Henley had taken the time to teach him some practical survival tips before this journey. Otherwise, they would most likely starve before help could arrive.

"What kind of technology? Anything like your communicator?" Melody was eager to learn more about his world.

"Yeah, where to begin? We have weapons that shoot lasers, holograms that can display anything out of light particles, and..." he suddenly remembered his solar surfer. That was probably the technology that he missed the most. "You remember when I was telling you about surfing?"

"Like it was last night," Melody smirked. _Had it really been less than 24 hours since they shared dinner in the galley?_

"Right, well, I sorta lied about that. I had a solar surfer when I lived back on Montressor, the planet that I'm from. I could use it to fly and surf the clouds. It was my favorite thing to do, but it often got me into trouble because I would fly through areas that were off limits."

"Why, Jim! Such a rebel!" Melody laughed. "And here I thought my bodyguard was of the upmost professionalism and candor."

"Yeah, I could say the same about you! Little miss ditch her bodyguard and dive off the freaking ship," he had to laugh too.

"What a pair we make, huh?" Melody nudged him with her elbow.

"Yeah, what a pair..." he shifted uncomfortably. "Well, I should scout out the area. This island is probably deserted, but it wouldn't hurt to check things out."

"Sounds like fun!" she jumped up excitedly. "Where should we explore first?"

"Whoa, _we_?" Jim did not think she was in any condition to go exploring right now.

"Yes! I am not letting you have the adventure all to yourself," her arms were crossed again.

"Are you sure you wouldn't rather hang out here and rest? You did have a rough night," he tried to reason with her.

"So did you! And I love exploring; I get it from my mother," she smiled mischievously. "So you cannot order me to stay, _Lieutenant_."

"Alright then, as you wish, _princess,"_ he held out his arms in the direction he was planning to go. "After you."

* * *

Melody was initially overwhelmed when Jim revealed the truth about himself. She supposed that was exactly the way Jim felt when she had explained her mermaid heritage to him. She smiled inwardly at his trust. Now they were exploring uncharted territory on a presumed-to-be-deserted island.

This trip was definitely turning out to be way more fun than she ever could have hoped for. _What if we never get rescued? What if we end up living on this island with no responsibilities?_ _That would be amazing, _she mused to herself. At least until they explored the entire island - then she would surely become bored again. Her heart craved adventure. She wondered what it was like to be a spacer, to be free to sail the open skies and explore limitless worlds. Maybe she could convince Jim to take her to space someday. She knew it wasn't a realistic thing to hope for, but she allowed herself to wistfully daydream about it anyway. This caused her to fall behind as Jim ended up taking the lead, pushing branches and foliage out of their path.

They soon reached a small clearing in the jungle, shaded by the palm trees overhead. Jim stopped to pick up something he saw in the sand.

"What is that?" Melody asked, almost bumping into him.

He held it up for her to see. "Looks like a gold coin."

"What's it doing here?" she took it and examined it. "This is a type of currency I've only seen in my books. It's easily over a hundred years old."

"Maybe this island isn't deserted after all," Jim scanned the clearing. "We'd better be more careful. No telling what - or who - we'll find..."

Melody walked into the clearing, keeping her gaze focused on the surrounding jungle. She suddenly cried out in pain as she felt something sharp prick her foot.

Jim caught her as she stumbled, and made her sit down on a large boulder while he examined the sand where she had left a few drops of blood. He found what he was looking for and dug carefully around it, before pulling out a small dagger.

"This is why you should have stayed at the beach," he held up the dagger, its tip coated red. "Bare feet are not a good idea for exploring."

"It's not my fault! I lost my boots in the water when I turned into a mermaid," she squeezed her foot, grimacing as she did so.

"Here, let me take a look," he knelt by her side and picked up her foot. "Well luckily, the blade didn't go through. Still pretty deep though, we're gonna need something to stop the bleeding."

Melody nodded and tore a wide strip from the hem of her dress and handed it to Jim. "It was too long anyway," she shrugged.

"That'll do," he wrapped it tightly around her foot and tied it securely in place. "You okay to walk?"

"Mm-hmm," she got up and balanced on her other foot. "Good to go!" she gave him a thumbs up. There was no way she was going to give him the satisfaction of sending her back to the beach, so she made sure to walk at a decent pace.

Jim shook his head at her stubbornness and stuck the dagger in the pocket of his boot. It might come in handy later.

* * *

Jim led the way deeper into the jungle, keeping a close eye on Melody. The moment she started to fall behind, he was going to take her back to camp. He would carry her if he had to. _She may be stubborn, but she's certainly no crybaby._ Jim was actually impressed by her resilience, foolish though it was. Walking on her injured foot was surely no small task, and it made him wonder just how much pain she must have been in that morning when she transformed back into a human. Bad enough for her to cry out for help, and Jim had a suspicion that asking for help or complaining was not her style. She was turning out to be a lot stronger than he ever would have expected for a princess. He shook his head. He had to stop thinking about her in that way, it would only lead to trouble.

They had made it quite a distance, following a path that had presented itself. Jim noted that there was very little overgrowth, and he grew concerned. That could only mean that the path was still in use. He thought again of the gold coin he had found. _Did Earth have pirates?_

"So Jim, that 'old friend' you mentioned last night while we were adrift, is he a spacer too?" Melody broke the silence.

"Yeah, you could say that," Jim thought of Silver fondly. He wasn't about to tell her that his friend was actually a pirate. Or a cyborg, for that matter. How in the world would be explain that one?

"Do you see him often?" she pressed for more information.

"Nah, I haven't seen him in about 6 years," it pinged his heart to say aloud. Silver taught him so much in such a short amount of time. He was the father figure that he never had. "I met him on board the RLS Legacy back when I was 15. He was the ship's cook. I had discovered a map to another planet that was said to contain the loot of a thousand worlds, and a family friend took me on an expedition to find it. Along the way, Silver and I became good friends. He even saved my life. I haven't seen him since then though."

"Whoa, you never told me you were a treasure hunter! That must have been so exciting! And it sounds like a dear friend indeed. Do you miss him?" Melody seemed to perk up at this revelation.

"Honestly, every day," he felt comfortable enough with her to speak candidly. "It really hurt to say goodbye."

"Maybe you'll see him again someday," she offered.

"I highly doubt it, but I appreciate your optimism," he half smiled.

"Sure, you should try it," she winked. "Don't be such a pessimist."

"I prefer to think of myself as pragmatic. I don't like to get my hopes up if there's no reasonable evidence to do so," he replied. The irony of the fact that he was hoping she felt the same way he found himself feeling towards her was not lost on him. _Come on Jim, stop doing this to yourself. It could never happen._

"How's your foot?" he changed the subject.

"It's alright, I can still walk," she replied. He knew she was lying, but a slight crack distracted him. He stopped, holding up a hand. "Don't move."

Melody froze mid step. "What's wrong?"

"I heard something..." he stared at the ground they stood on, searching for what he was sure was some sort of booby trap.

Melody suddenly shifted her weight, and a large net snapped out of the sand, capturing them both and flinging them up into the air. _Crap._

* * *

Melody wasn't sure what was going on, but Jim had stopped short and told her to freeze. She obeyed, accidentally putting more weight on her injured foot. Surely it would be okay to just lift her foot slightly...

_SNAP!_

Suddenly they were bundled up in a net, hanging from a tree.

"_Sorry,_" she knew it was her fault.

"It's okay, I'll cut us loose," Jim reached for the dagger in his boot. Suddenly they heard voices coming nearer.

"Jim, someone's coming!" Melody pointed in the direction of the voices. There was no time to escape. Whoever these people were, if they had left this trap, they couldn't be friendly. _The pearl._ She couldn't let them take it from her, but what to do with it? She opened her locket and took the pearl out. Without thinking, she popped it into her mouth and swallowed hard.

"_What the heck did you do that for?"_ Jim stared at her in shock. She was shocked herself.

"I can't let them take the Sea Stone!" she whispered fiercely. "I didn't know what else to do!"

"Well, _jeez!_" Jim whispered back. "I had a plan!"

"Oh..." was all she could respond with, while mentally face palming herself.

Suddenly, two men appeared down the path, brandishing swords. One had an eye patch, the other was missing a couple of fingers on his right hand. _Pirates._

"And what have we here?" the one with the eye patch eyed them curiously, pointing his sword at the rope holding the net up.

"Just a couple of sailors seeking shelter. We were marooned by our crew and were hoping to find other...gentlemen of fortune," Jim lied.

"Cut him down, Patchy! Let's take 'em to the Cap'n and see what he makes of their story," the other pirate sneered up at them suspiciously.

"Patchy" took one swipe with his sword and cut the net down, dropping them unceremoniously to the ground in a tangled heap. Melody blushed as she realized that she had landed right on top of Jim, and was it her imagination, or was he blushing too? In any event, she was pulled off of him by the man who was missing fingers, who held her arms tightly behind her back.

"This little wench doesn't look like a sailor to me..." he breathed down her neck, prompting Melody to stomp her good foot into his shin and elbow him in the gut. He fell over with an _oof!_ and started shouting at Patchy to grab her. Melody sprinted past him, grabbing Jim by the arm. Her foot was screaming in protest, but she ignored the pain.

* * *

Before Jim realized what was happening, he saw Melody take out one of the pirates and now they were running for their lives.

"Where did you learn to do that?" he asked, impressed by her moves.

"My father had me take lessons in simple combat. He never wanted me to be in a position where I couldn't protect myself," Melody huffed, trying to concentrate on running.

"Well thanks for doing my job for me!" he laughed in between breaths. "Are you sure you even need a bodyguard?"

"Never said I did," she winked at him.

Jim noticed that they had run out of road, as a cliff loomed before them. He skidded to a halt and reached out to grab Melody's skirt to stop her before she went over the edge. He leaned forward and saw that it was a sheer drop into the ocean below._ We must have reached the other end of the island._ They both whirled around at the sound of approaching shouts. There wasn't much choice here...

"You ready?" he turned to Melody and glanced at the cliff, insinuating what they both knew was the only escape.

She narrowed her eyes and gave him the most beautifully sly smile he had ever seen. "_Ready."_

They took a few steps back, hand in hand, before taking a running leap off the edge of the cliff. Jim felt his stomach leap up into his chest as gravity took hold. He had performed a similar move dozens of times on his solar surfer, and it was exhilarating.

_"Wooooohooo!"_ he let out a shout. Out of the corner of his eye, he thought he saw Melody looking at him with a look of ...adoration? _Psh, yeah right. She just thinks I'm crazy!_ Then they hit the water with a splash, cutting through the surface and getting swept up in the cold waves.

* * *

Melody felt the adrenaline course through her veins as they dove into the water. She had never jumped from that high a distance before, and it was breathtaking. Literally. She forgot to take a deep breath before going under, and she knew she didn't have much time to resurface and replenish her oxygen supply. She really didn't want to depend on spontaneously growing gills again, especially since she had swallowed the Sea Stone and did not yet know how it would affect her body. She didn't feel any different, but she wasn't so naive to think that doing such a risky thing wouldn't have consequences.

Finally, she broke through the surface and gulped down sweet air. Jim popped up next to her, doing the same.

"That was crazy!" she exclaimed. "Let's do it again!"

Jim burst out laughing. "_You're crazy!_ But I wouldn't argue with that sentiment."

They started paddling to shore, which was a bit more difficult than it had been this morning, since the low tide was now sucking them back into the ocean. With every kick, Melody's foot ached and stung from the saltwater. She pressed on anyway, not willing to show any weakness in front of Jim. She wouldn't admit it to herself, but it did actually please her greatly to see how impressed he was with how she had handled herself.

After fighting the tide for several minutes, they pulled themselves onto the damp sand, sprawling out on their backs to rest for a moment. Once he had caught his breath, Jim sat up, looking around at the beach.

"I think we cut across the island, so camp is going to be quite the walk from here," he mused. "But with sunset approaching, we might want to make a second camp."

"Okay, where's a good place?" Melody jumped to her feet, which betrayed her and sent her stumbling back into the sand. Jim jumped up and went to her side. She was trying to get up again, embarrassed at her clumsiness.

"Hey, slow down a sec. Let's take a look at your foot," he attempted to settle her down. Melody grimaced as Jim picked up her foot and unraveled the strip of cloth that was a little worse for wear at that point. Her foot like it was on fire, and she was sure it didn't look much better than that.

"Well, what's the damage?" she asked Jim.

"Not as bad as I expected, actually. I think the saltwater helped flush out all the dirt and debris that likely gathered up. The wound still looks pretty angry though, I wouldn't recommend walking on it."

"Nonsense, I can make it to wherever we're going to set up camp. Now that we're not running from pirates, I can take my time."

Jim groaned. "You are really stubborn, you know that?"

"My mother says I'm incorrigible," she smiled sweetly. "If you'll help me up, I can manage."

He stood up then extended his hand to her, which she accepted graciously and used to pull herself up to a standing position. They started to make their way up the beach, with Melody's arm thrown around Jim's neck as he helped her walk up the hill.

"I think this is a cove over here. We should be safe from detection in here," Jim observed.

Melody nodded, becoming slightly alarmed as she felt her legs going numb. She did her best to move forward as they reached the top of the sandy hill.

"You doing okay?" Jim was staring intently at her with concern.

"Y-yeah, just fine," she lied. _Oh Mel, just tell him you need to rest! Quit being so stubborn!_ She sighed. "Actually, could we rest a minute? I can't feel my legs."

Without notice, Jim scooped her up into his arms and started walking down the other side of the hill, into the cove. Melody's surprise was only rivaled by the strange sensation she felt in the pit of her stomach. She tried to ignore it and clasped her hands around Jim's neck.

They soon reached some some rocky patches near a pool of water within the cove, fed through a narrow opening in the rocks and sand that led out to the sea.

Jim carefully set Melody down in the sand, then sat next to her.

"How are you feeling?" he asked.

"I'm okay, really," she faked a smile. He gave her a stern look.

"Alright, fine. My legs are still numb, but at least my foot doesn't hurt anymore," Melody conceded.

"Probably due to exhaustion. You should feel better after resting. Are you okay right here while I go gather some firewood?" he stood up hesitantly.

"Yeah, I'll be fine. Go ahead," she nodded. "I'll be here."

"Okay," he reached into his boot and withdrew the dagger. "Take this, just in case. I'll be right back."

Melody took the dagger and stuck it in the sand next to her as Jim disappeared over the hill. She leaned heavily against the giant rock behind her and breathed deeply, the excitement of the day having worn her out. She didn't want to alarm Jim, but she felt sick. She couldn't quite explain it, but something felt...off.

She noticed that with each breath, it was taking less and less time to fill her lungs. It was as if they were shrinking. She tried not to panic, taking small, purposeful breaths. Reaching up to her neck, she could feel her delicate skin splitting into slits. _Not again..._

Her legs suddenly felt tingly, as if thousands of minnows were tickling them with bubbles. She instinctively drew them together as her hips seemed to shift lower on her body, her legs elongating as well. Her skin stretched too, before beginning to tear away in several places to reveal pale orange scales underneath. Mercifully, this time it didn't hurt. It just felt, _odd_.

She pressed her legs together more firmly now, and the fresh scales receded from her inner thighs and calves as the two limbs melted into one. The scales shifted back into place and began to take on a deeper hue, until they were the same coral color of her mermaid tail. Next, her feet began to flatten and stretch out, then fanning out into transparent fins. The process seemed to heal her injured foot, as she could see no evidence of the gash that had been there. She was only left with a long, heavy tail.

_I need to get to the water._

Her dress was doing nothing but weighing her down, so she decided to just remove it. That proved to be more difficult than she thought it would, however, as the skirt was pinned beneath her tail. Seeing the dagger beside her, she used that to slice herself out of the dress, leaving scraps of fabric all over the sand. For once, she was thankful to be wearing a corset, as she had no other articles of clothing with her. Rolling herself onto her stomach, she swung herself around to face the water that was pooled up in the cove. Using her arms, she tried to pull herself towards the water, but her tail was like dead weight behind her, and was hardly budging. The exertion was making her hyperventilate, as her tiny lungs quickly used up what little air they could hold. She reached out in front of her, one arm at a time, attempting to pull herself closer to the water. She had only managed to move herself a few inches before she passed out in the sand.

* * *

Jim reckoned that he had sufficient firewood for the night, and turned back toward the cove. He hoped that Melody was able to get some sleep tonight. As he reached the top of the hill, he dropped all the pieces of driftwood and branches that he had gathered.

Melody was a mermaid again.

He ran down the hill towards her and noticed all of the pieces of her dress lying around. He blushed when he realized that she was only in a corset. _Keep it together Jim, you need to help her!_ He knelt down, rolled her onto her back and placed his ear close to her chest. She was breathing shallowly. It didn't sound good. Jim suddenly remembered what Melody had said to him about only being able to breathe above water for short periods of time when in her mermaid form. He silently cursed himself. He never should have left her alone!

He placed one arm under her back, and the other under her tail so he could lift her off the ground. He was right that morning. Her tail really was heavy! He managed to lift her up into his arms and trudged toward the water, wading in until he was waist deep. He carefully lowered her into the water until she was fully submerged. He could see tiny bubbles escaping her mouth as water entered it. Her chest slowly began to rise and fall at a more steady pace, which calmed his nerves. She would be alright.

Melody's eyes slowly opened, and she looked up at him hazily. She attempted to speak, but he shook his head at her.

"No, just focus on breathing," he said softly. She closed her eyes again and seemed to drift off to sleep. Jim allowed her to sink to the bottom of the shallow pool so that she could have plenty of water as she rested. He eventually waded back to shore where he started the fire. He took his boots off to dry and folded his shirt into a makeshift pillow, then fell into an exhausted slumber.

* * *

Melody's eyes snapped open and she began to panic for a moment as she realized that she was underwater. The sunlight was piercing through the crystal blue waters, illuminating the shallow pool she found herself in. She glanced down at her tail and groaned.

She swished her tail to propel her up to the surface, where she saw Jim sleeping near the boulder that she had transformed at. He must have brought her into the water, because she did not remember getting very far last night. He really deserved much higher pay; she was certain that none of the things he had done the past day were part of his original job description. He had to be exhausted, so she decided not to wake him up just yet.

A moment later, however, she could hear heavy footsteps over the hill near their hideout. _The pirates!_

"Jim!" she whispered loudly. He didn't stir. She huffed, and then prepared to splash him with water. What actually happened, though, was that she sent a mini tidal wave pouring onto him! He jolted upright from the rude awakening and looked around.

"Jim!" she waved at him. "I think someone's coming!" Melody pointed at the hill where she heard the footsteps. Jim immediately jumped to his feet, brandishing the dagger, just a large figure reached the top of the hill. Jim's jaw dropped, along with the dagger.

"_Silver?_"


	6. Escape

A/N: I want to apologize for the time gap in posting between this chapter and the last. August has been a very busy month, plus I got writer's block while fleshing out this chapter. O_o I hope you enjoy it and I hope to post more frequently after this one!

* * *

Jim couldn't believe what he was seeing. Surely he was hallucinating! There he stood, clear as day; his old friend and teacher.

"Now is t'at any way t' greet an old friend, Jimbo?" the cyborg jeered.

"Silver, you ol' scallywag!" Jim ran to greet him, dropping the dagger in the sand. The two met in a bear hug of flesh and metal before Silver finally patted him on the shoulder. Jim stood back, still not willing to believe that he was truly there. "What are you doing here? How did you find us?"

"Let's jus' say ah was in the neighborhood when ah picked up yer distress signal. Of c'arse ah couldn't pass up an opportunity to see me ol' mate!" Silver smiled mischievously, then realized Jim said 'us'. "Who else is here then, Jimbo? Ah know me eyes ain't what dey used t' be, but ah don't believe ah saw another soul in t'is here cove," with that he scanned the immediate area with his robotic eye as if to prove his point.

"Ah," Jim scratched the back of his neck, wondering how much he should divulge about his mission. "Well ya see, that's a long story. Much of it I'm not at liberty to share, but suffice to say, I'm currently employed as a bodyguard as part of my final test with the Academy before graduation." Jim couldn't help but smile outwardly as Silver beamed with pride.

"Dat's me boy! Ah always knew ye had greatness in ya! Couldn't be any prouder of ya Jimbo," he clapped him on the shoulder to show his approval, then immediately changed his demeanor to one of concern when Jim nearly tumbled over. Silver quickly grabbed him by the shoulders to steady him. "Whoa - easy there, lad! Guess ah don't know me own strength."

"It's not your fault, Silver. It's been a long couple of days," Jim rolled his neck and stretched carefully, working out the stiffness in his body. "We were marooned during a storm two nights ago."

"Well lucky fer ye, ah just so happen to have a way off t'is island. But first tings first, ain't ye gonna introduce me to your lady friend?" he gestured over Jim's shoulder. Jim visibly blushed at his terminology. Melody's curiosity must have gotten the better of her, prompting her to reveal herself in order to get a better view.

"Yeah, about that, she's really shy, and she's never met an alien before, so take it easy, alright?" Jim's forehead creased in concern for how Melody was going to react to seeing a cyborg for the first time.

"Jimbo, you've cut me t' the quick! As if ah ain't knowin' how t' conduct me'self around a lass," he shook his head. "T'is as if ye didn't know me at all."

Jim simply shook his head in mild amusement, before leading Silver to the shoreline.

* * *

Melody watched the exchange from the safety of the water. While at first scared, she soon realized that this stranger seemed to be a good friend of Jim's, and her nerves started to calm. Could this be the friend that Jim had spoken so fondly of? By his own admission, he did not have many friends, so the odds were good that this man was one and the same. Still, she couldn't help but become nervous when he looked in her direction and started to follow Jim closer to the pool.

She submerged herself and allowed the weight of her tail to drag her down to the bottom as the two approached. She didn't like the idea of revealing her tail to a stranger, but what choice did she have? She had overheard him say that he could provide a way off the island. She could see Jim's form approach and kneel down close to the water, with the man standing at a respectful distance.

"Hey Mel, you can come out now! This is a friend. He means no harm, " Jim explained patiently.

Melody breathed in and huffed out a few bubbles, determined not to let her nervousness control her. She took another deep gulp of water and rose to the surface, parting her dripping hair away from her face so she could see better.

The strange man's jaw dropped open before he remembered his manners and quickly regained composure. It made Melody smirk to think that she must be as foreign a sight to him as he was to her. He certainly was very odd, with his metal limbs and eyeball. Finally Jim spoke to break the silence.

"Melody, meet my oldest friend, Long John Silver. And Silver, meet Melody." It was not lost on her that Jim had purposefully forgone her title. Perhaps he didn't fully trust his friend with all the details of their current situation. Or maybe he was simply following protocol in order to protect her. The man Jim called Silver slowly extended a metal hand toward her, and she tentatively took it in a firm grasp, shaking it politely.

"How do you do, Silver?"

"Pleased to make yer acquaintance lass!" Silver's brogue accent intrigued her. He sounded like some merchants from Ireland that had visited some time ago to trade copper and iron for their kingdom's cloth and cattle. Although Silver was clearly not from around here, his manner of clothing reminded her of the two men they had fled from the day prior. Could they belong to his crew?

"Forgive my blunt question Silver, but you wouldn't happen to be a pirate, would you?" she asked suspiciously. He took a step back, looking slightly offended.

"Why, I be but a gentleman of fortune!" he responded defensively. Jim started to laugh.

"_That's the same thing!_" he stage whispered to Melody, pretending that Silver couldn't hear.

"How d'ye like dat, me own pal givin' away me secrets! Ain't nothin' sacred," he crossed his arms, but his eyes creased with a smile.

"So I take it that your ship is nearby?" Jim redirected the conversation.

"Aye, lad. 'Tis hidden in de jungle not more than fifty paces from here," confirmed Silver. "Shall we get a move on?"

"Yeah, actually, give us a minute? We'll catch up if you want to start heading over the ridge."

"Don't be too long Jimbo, somet'in about t'is place ain't settin' right wit' me," he glanced around suspiciously before lumbering up the sandy hill.

Once he was out of sight, Melody asked Jim, "What do you think that was all about? Do you think we can trust him? He _is_ a pirate after all."

"I trust Silver with my life," Jim said gravely. "He may have made questionable life choices in the past, but he's my friend. And he's proven himself more than once."

"I hope you're right, Jim. In my experience, people don't change. They are either good or bad from the start." Melody liked Silver, but she wasn't convinced that he didn't have ulterior motives. She doubted that he had shown up from sheer coincidence.

"I'm really sorry you feel that way," Jim glanced back to where Silver had disappeared. "People aren't so black and white, though. Sometimes good people do really terrible things. And sometimes, the 'bad guys' are capable of doing some good, or they at least have their reasons for doing what they do."

"I guess we'll have to agree to disagree on that one," Melody did not wish to argue with Jim. She understood his point, but she wouldn't believe it unless she saw it for herself. None of the people she knew would ever do anything 'bad'. Really, the only evil person she had ever encountered was Morgana, and had her grandfather not imprisoned her in ice, she seriously doubted that she would ever change her ways.

"Well, we had better take Silver's advice and get out of here, before our 'friends' from yesterday track us down."

"Ha, that's much easier said than done! I'm kind of stuck here for the time being," Melody propped herself up on the sand by her elbows and swished her tail overhead as if to emphasize her point. "I can't just take off my locket this time; it's like the Sea Stone has a mind of its own now that it's inside me."

"Remind me again why you had to go and swallow it?" Jim's brow creased in... annoyance? She had a hard time reading him.

"Look, if this stone is truly as powerful as you say it is, then it's my responsibility to protect it at all costs. I couldn't risk it being taken from me by those pirates!" Melody explained impatiently.

"Okay, okay, you win!" Jim held up his hands in defeat. "Alright, we'll figure this out. Do you think you can try changing back?"

"I suppose it's worth a shot, but..." she trailed off, her face turning pink. Jim knelt down and put a strong hand on her shoulder.

"I know it was painful last time, but I'll be right here," he gave her a gentle squeeze.

"I-It's not that," she stammered, feeling her cheeks flush. "It's just that...well, I'm not dressed properly..." Thankfully, Jim caught on to her meaning, and now both of their faces were tinged with crimson. Jim looked around at the scraps of her dress that lay scattered on the shore. Locating the largest piece of fabric, he picked it up and brought it to Melody.

"Will this work?" he was avoiding eye contact with her.

"Yes, I think this will do, thank you," she proceeded to wrap the cloth around her waist and tie it securely in place. "Now let me concentrate..." she squeezed her eyes shut and focused on her tail. She thought hard about having legs, attempting to relive the transformation on the beach from yesterday. She imagined her tail pulling apart into two legs, but nothing seemed to be happening.

"Any luck?" Jim asked after a few moments.

Melody shook her head. "It's no use, I can't figure out how to control it, or if I even _can_ control it. If I just had more time..." she felt her frustration rise. Why did she have to swallow the darn thing? What on earth could she have been thinking?

"Hey, it's okay! We'll figure this out later, but for now, we really need to move." And with that, Jim swiftly scooped her up into his arms and out of the water, surprising her. She clasped her arms around his neck for support, and fought to keep from blushing. She had never been this close to him before, and he was so strong, for she knew very well how heavy the deadweight of her tail was. He smelled so nice too...despite having been tossed about by the ocean and being marooned for a couple of days, he had a spicy, oaky scent to him. _Stop it!_ she chastised herself. _Don't think about him, and certainly don't smell him!_ She could not help but notice, however, that Jim was blushing too.

* * *

Jim marched steadily up the hill, following Silver's tracks. He couldn't move too quickly; not with the extra weight that he was carrying. _Boy, was her tail heavy! _Especially when her upper half felt so small in comparison. And her tiny hands clasped around his neck seemed to be burning his very skin. He subconsciously held her tighter to his chest and marched on.

As her bodyguard, of course he felt protective over her - that was his job, after all. But was that all he felt toward her? Women were not something that he had experience with, and these new feelings that he was fighting to keep in check made him all the more anxious.

He did feel sorry for Melody. As a princess, she had surely lived a sheltered life and had little interaction with the outside world. So little that she had a very naive outlook on people in general. He knew all too well that some people could indeed do terrible things and never, ever change. He had his estranged father to thank for that example. But Silver had proven to him that even someone who lived outside the law could have a good heart, they just needed to be given a chance. He did wonder what his old friend had been up to for the past 4 years however. He wanted to believe that he had turned his life around and taken advantage of his second chance. Something inside him was telling him that that was not the case, however.

Jim was so lost in thought that he didn't notice Silver's tracks had ended abruptly a few yards back. A snap of a twig made him whirl around towards the trees, and he saw two large, yellow eyes staring back at him. He firmly planted his feet in the sand, bracing for what danger might be lurking.

"Whoever is in there, come out right now!" he shouted. He could feel Melody's hands tighten around his neck as the mysterious creature emerged from the foliage. Jim's heart felt as if it had jumped into his throat as he instantly recognized the alien. "No, that's impossible..." he took a step back, tightening his grip on Melody.

"We meet again...cabin boy..." the spider-like alien sneered.

* * *

"Jim?" Melody was shaking in his arms. _What was that thing? _It looked like a monster from her old story books; half crab, and half spider. Was he from another planet like Jim? He did not look at all friendly. Jim couldn't possibly outrun him while holding her, and he had no weapons. Glancing over Jim's shoulder, she noticed how close they were to the ocean, which gave her an idea.

"Bait him into the water. Trust me," she whispered into Jim's ear. He nodded almost imperceptibly.

"Long time, no see, Bright Eyes. Did you have a nice fall?" he taunted the monster. Melody envied how confident and brave he sounded.

"Insssolent boy! You won't essscape thisss time!" With that, the creature lunged at the two of them, but Jim quickly dodged to the side. Melody stretched out both of her arms and summoned a wave to roll over the creature, knocking him off of all six of his feet. She focused hard and was able to bring another wave crashing into it for good measure. Jim took the opportunity to bolt into the jungle, using the trees for cover. The sound of hissing and sputtering faded into the distance as they went deeper into the jungle.

"What _was_ that thing?" Melody was still horrified over the ghastly sight of the monster who had attacked them.

"Long story!" Jim huffed in between shallow breaths. "His name's Scroop - thought he was dead!"

"_Dead_?" her eyes widened in horror, glancing over Jim's shoulder every few seconds to assure that they were not being followed.

Suddenly, they heard Silver's voice shout out from somewhere in the jungle. Somewhere close. Jim turned on his heel to follow his voice. They soon came to a clearing that opened up to the beach once again. Melody's eyes grew wider. A small, rickety looking ship with the name "Odyssey" inscribed in the side of the hull was waiting for them. That wasn't what had caught Melody's attention, however. It was the fact that the ship was _floating _above the sand!

"Jimbo! Lassie! Hop aboard!" Silver called down from the helm. A rope ladder dangled from the side, which Jim carried Melody to, clearly trying to figure out how he was going to climb up while holding her.

"I can pull myself up, Jim. That way you can have your hands free," she grasped the ladder and started to pull herself up and out of his arms.

"You sure? It's a long way up," he asked dubiously.

"Definitely. I have more upper body strength when I'm in this form," she winked and continued climbing at a steady pace. Jim gave up and followed after her.

Once they reached the railing, Melody swung her tail over the side with some effort and landed on the deck in a less than graceful manner. Hoping that Jim hadn't seen, she rubbed her hip, which felt a bit tender from the impact. Jim swung himself onto the deck right after and reached out to help her, but she held her hand up to stop him.

"I'm alright, see if Silver needs help first. As far as I can tell, he's got no crew to prepare for..." she was searching for the proper terminology.

"Launch," Jim smiled. "At least allow me to bring you up to the helm; you'll need to hang onto something when we take off. Trust me," he winked at her, only this time it made her heart flutter, for some reason. Melody ignored it and acquiesced to his offer. He gently scooped her up and carried her up the flight of stairs to place her on a crate near Silver. She tried to hide her discomfort as her hip protested against the hard material. She was definitely going to bruise.

"What can I help with, Silver?" Jim shouted over the roar of the engines. He had already taken note that the solar sails were wide open and charging from the sunlight.

"Ah've already started de engines, an' we won't be goin high enough to warrant artificial gravity, so jus' brace yerselves!" Silver ordered, to which Jim nodded.

Melody grabbed the railing in front of her and immediately felt heat rise in her chest as she realized that Jim was holding her firmly by the shoulders. She didn't have long to dwell on it though, as the ship suddenly lurched upward and zoomed through the sky at breakneck speed. She would have been thrown right off the crate had it not been for Jim's iron like grip.

After a few minutes, they were high above the ocean and the island was nothing more than a little sandy dot on the horizon. Melody looked about her in amazement. She had always loved the mystery of the deep seas, but she never could have imagined that the skies could also hold such wonder. It was so beautiful...

"it's really somethin', isn't it?" Jim whispered, his breath tickling her neck. She felt her face flush again and self-consciously began to play with her hair.

"It's amazing..." she murmured, gazing at the many shades of blue and flinching slightly when they flew through a cloud.

"So, where to, lad?" Silver interrupted.

"We need to find our ship, the _Rising Tide_. It shouldn't be too far from here. They probably strayed off course to search for us after the storm blew over," Jim responded.

"If it's nearby, me scanner'll pick it up fer sure. Why don' ye take the lassie down to the galley and rustle up a bite to eat? You two must be famished."

Melody's stomach grumbled loudly in response in a most unladylike manner. Jim laughed in amusement.

"I guess that's a yes," he grinned. "May I?" He held out his arms to her. She smiled shyly and stretched out her own arms as he lifted her off the crate. Suddenly, she felt a pit form in her stomach, and her body broke out in a cold sweat. Her tail went numb and she grabbed a hold of Jim.

* * *

"What's wrong?" Jim held her tighter, unsure of what else to do.

"_It's...nnngh...happening again!_" she managed to convey to him.

"Silver, do you have any bunks below deck?" he asked quickly.

"Aye, lad, two doors down from me captain's quarters!"

Jim nodded and raced downstairs as fast as he could carry Melody. He located the room and kicked the door open, bringing her to one of the empty beds.

"I'll go grab some water," he turned to head down to the galley, but her hand shot out and grabbed him by the wrist.

"_W-wait, d__on't leave me! Please_..._"_ she curled up into a ball, convulsing in pain as her tail began to rip apart. Jim sat on the bed beside her and cradled her in his arms, smoothing strands of hair from her face. It pained him to see the tears streaming from her eyes, shut tightly in pain. All he could do was hold her until it was over.

Her body finally gave out, overcome with exhaustion. She was out cold, just like the last time she transformed back into a human. He glanced down and saw that her legs were indeed back, but there was blood trickling from her foot. He had forgotten about her injury from the previous day. He carefully got up and went to look for a medical supplies kit to bandage up her foot before she lost too much blood.

It didn't take long to search the small room before he found the necessary supplies in a cabinet near the door. Working quickly, he cleaned up the blood, applied some ointment, and wrapped some gauze around her foot. She didn't stir the whole time, and he figured she would sleep it off. He laid a blanket over her sleeping form, lingering in the doorway before finally heading back up to the deck.

* * *

Jim dragged himself up the stairs, feeling quite exhausted himself. His muscles were feeling taxed and he knew he needed to rest, but he had to talk to Silver first. Upon reaching the deck, Silver turned at the sound of Jim's boots clunking across the wooden boards.

"How is yer lass?" he asked with concern.

"She's not _my_ lass, Silver," Jim shook his head wearily. "But she'll be alright. She's a human again, at least."

"Ye sure do attract some interesting people, eh Jimbo?"

"Heh, you could say that again," he gave a half-smile. "Speaking of which, we ran into a couple of pirates back on the island. They were human, probably from here on Earth, but there was someone else we ran into while following you back to your ship."

"Is dat right? Ah wondered what took ya so long!" Silver scratched his chin, turning the wheel slightly.

"Yeah, and you won't believe who." Jim watched Silver's expression carefully. "Someone I thought was long dead."

"An' who might dat 'ave been?" Silver's face registered no perceptible change at this information, besides mild curiosity.

"You really don't know?" Jim folded his arms and leaned against the railing in front of Silver, his eyes creased.

"Ye know ah don't have the patience for mind games, Jimbo. Jus' ask me straight out what you want to know."

"Alright, first of all, what is Scroop doing on Earth, alive nonetheless? And secondly, what are you really doing here? I know it's not a coincidence, so don't give me some crap about 'being in the area' when we both know that this sector is way beyond your normal travel radius," Jim hadn't intended to come off so heated, but he was worried that Melody might have been right not to trust him. After a few unbearable minutes of strained silence, Silver sighed and finally spoke.

"Very well, lad. You've got me. But it's not what ye tink!" he said defensively.

"Then enlighten me," Jim held his gaze with narrow eyes.

"Where do I begin?" Silver scratched the back of his neck. "Ah suppose tis all started many years ago. Ah was hired by a pirate captain to help 'im round up some sort o' stones he was after. Ah located one o' dem, but shortly afterwards, ah realized dat de man was insane! So ah double crossed 'im in an attempt to keep the stone out of 'is clutches."

_The Elemental Stones, _thought Jim.

"So what happened then?" Jim pressed him.

"How do ye tink ah lost me arm an' leg, boy?" Silver held up his mechanical arm for emphasis, causing Jim's eyes to widen.

"Who was this pirate captain?"

"He went by the name o' Captain Ironbeard. An' he's back, Jimbo. He wants de rest o' de stones. He's been trackin' me longer than ah'd like to admit. He followed us to Treasure Planet, hopin to nab me and get the other locations out o' me. Instead he got Mr Scroop. When ah heard talk dat Ironbeard was sniffin' around, ah figured ah oughta find the stones 'fore he did. He's already got de Fire Stone, so ah was hopin to find the Sea Stone next. He prob'ly had Mr Scroop track me to report back. Ah swear it's de truth!"

Jim raked his hands through his hair, processing everything. So there was an insane space pirate, already in possession of the Fire Stone, who was tracking down the rest of the stones. He didn't doubt that Scroop could still potentially be tracking them at this very moment, so they needed to come up with a plan, or Melody would be in grave danger.

"Once we reach the _Rising Tide_, you need to ditch your ship," Jim said decisively. "Set it on auto pilot and abandon it, we'll send Scroop on a wild goose chase. That should give us time to reach land and call in reinforcements."

"But what about de Sea Stone lad? De only way to make sure Ironbeard doesn't get his rusty hands on it is if we find it first an' destroy it!"

"Trust me, Silver, it's safe," Jim answered vaguely.

"Wait a second, ye know where it is, dontcha?" Silver pointed at Jim.

"I do, and I'm telling you, it's safe. So drop it," he warned.

"Whatever ye say, lad. Ah jus' hope ye know what yer doin..." Silver glanced down at his radar scanner, which suddenly blipped. "Ah tink ah've found yer ship!"

"Great, take us there as fast as you can!" Jim set his jaw as he considered what their next actions would be. He had to call this in, the Academy needed to know that his test was about to get a lot more complicated.


	7. Chess

Melody awoke to a strange feeling. She thought at first that she was on a ship, but the lack of swaying told her that this was not so. She sat up groggily and blinked to clear her vision, noting that she was in a bed, in what looked to be a small cabin. So perhaps they were back on the Rising Tide, and were anchored in place? No, that couldn't be it; even stationary the ship would still experience movement, however slight.

She literally rolled out of bed and staggered when she put her weight on her bandaged foot. Vaguely, she recalled piercing it on an abandoned dagger in the sand. What else had happened? She rubbed the back of her head in an attempt to help clear her mind, forcing herself to remember. _Running from pirates...meeting Silver...escaping from a horrible alien creature..._

It was starting to come back to her. Sitting on the floor, she held her locket and recalled that she had swallowed the Sea Stone. She told herself she did it to protect it, but she couldn't help but feel foolish for doing so.

This "gift" from her grandfather was turning out to be more of a burden if anything. _Why did you give this to me? _she wondered to herself. Granted, the abilities that it bestowed on her had saved both her life and Jim's more than once. She reminded herself how she had controlled it briefly when she summoned a wave to aid in their escape from that alien Scroop. So she could control water, and become a mermaid, seemingly against her will, but maybe, with a bit of effort, she could learn to control that ability too...

Suddenly she heard a knock at the door, followed by Jim peeking his head in to see if she was up. Alarmed that she had seemingly fallen out of bed, he quickly set down the tray he had brought in and was at her side in two long strides.

"Are you okay? Did you fall?" he asked with concern as he put her arm over his shoulders and helped her stand up.

"I'm okay, just a little dizzy. I forgot about my foot," she limped on her good leg back to the bed with Jim's assistance.

"I had forgotten too. It started bleeding again after you turned back into a human earlier."

"So how long was I out this time?"

"Only about an hour. It's not even noon yet. Oh, I almost forgot," he crossed the room to retrieve the tray. "Brought you some food; figured you'd be hungry." Jim presented her with a small tin bowl of what looked like stew.

"Thank you, I'm starving," she took the bowl gratefully, though eyeing it curiously. "What is this, alien stew?" she wrinkled her nose.

"Haha, yeah, you could say that. It's Silver's famous bonzabeast stew. It's packed with protein and nutrients, or so he tells me."

Melody took a small sip, careful not to burn herself. It was actually pretty good! The stew tasted both nourishing and comforting, and she was soon feeling more like herself.

"So, we're on Silver's ship?" she finally asked, scraping the last of the stew from the bowl with her spoon.

"Yeah, he's found the Rising Tide, so we're headed in that direction," he confirmed.

"Then he'll drop us off and be on his way, I assume?" Melody sucked on the spoon in a most unladylike fashion.

"Not exactly," at this point, Jim had pulled up a chair near the bed. "He'll be joining us on board. You remember that alien you had the pleasure of meeting on the beach earlier?" Melody nodded her head. "Well, we're fairly certain that he's still tracking Silver's ship. Turns out he's been tailing him this whole time. So the plan, once we reach our ship, is to send Silver's ship back into space to lure Scroop away."

"I see..." Melody processed this new information. "Why was he following Silver in the first place?"

"Long story short, Silver is trying to track down the Elemental Stones before a nasty pirate named Ironbeard can get them all. Scroop works for Ironbeard, and he was sent to track Silver so he could report back once he found out where the other stones were," Jim explained.

"Oh my goodness..." Melody placed a hand to her chest. "Does he know that I have one?"

"No, and we're going to keep it that way. I didn't even tell Silver," he reassured her. Seeing the sly smile on her face, he quickly added, "Not because I don't trust him, okay? I just figured the fewer people who knew about this, the better. For your own safety." He locked eyes with her then, and he could see her fear hidden behind the brave facade that she was putting on. He nudged her playfully with his shoulder. "Hey, come on, there's no need to worry! You've got the best bodyguard in the galaxy watching your back! I won't let anything happen to you."

"Promise?" she nudged him back.

"Promise," he winked in return.

* * *

Captain Henley Howell stood over his desk, feverishly consulting his maps and checking his scanner every few minutes. He was a dead man if he showed his face in Arlington without the princess. And he had lost his lieutenant, whom he was solely responsible for. What would the Academy think? They would probably banish him to Earth, along with his wife, Abigail. She was also here on Earth, but spent most of her time at the castle whenever he was out at sea. How he missed her! He hoped to retire in a few years, so he could spend more time with his wife. Perhaps banishment wouldn't be so bad...

The scanner suddenly fizzled to life as it picked up a massive object heading their way. Tapping the screen, he knew it couldn't be another ship. It was moving too fast. Its speed was more reminiscent of a spaceship. He was not expecting any spacers, so he grabbed his rifle and headed up to the deck to meet the mysterious visitor.

First Mate Leif Nelson was at the helm and looked questioningly at his captain as he marched up the stairs with his weapon ready.

"Is something wrong, sir?"

"We have unexpected company," Howell scanned the horizon for signs of the approaching ship. A small black dot soon came into view, growing bigger and bigger within seconds. Several members of the crew took notice and shielded their eyes from the burning sun as they stared at the floating vessel. Howell grumbled to himself, already mentally preparing for the necessary mind wipes he would need to conduct later. With the exception of Jim, whom he presumed to be dead, he was the only person who knew about spacers. The rest of his crew were in for quite a surprise.

The vessel suddenly swooped above their ship, hovering in place as the engines hummed into rest mode. A long rope ladder was hurled over the side, floating right behind the captain and first mate. Howell raised his gun, waiting for the first alien to dare board his ship. A young man slid recklessly down the ladder before dropping to the deck in a crouch. The man rose, meeting Howell's eyes. He immediately dropped his weapon as he realized who the visitor was.

"Hawkins! We thought you were lost to us!" he allowed his surprise to break his normally stoic demeanor as he regarded his Lieutenant.

"It's a long story, sir," Jim responded as he saluted.

"And the princess...?" Howell wasn't sure he wanted the answer, but it was necessary to ask.

Another figure slid swiftly down the ladder as Jim turned to catch them. He caught the young woman and quickly set her down, who leaned into him slightly, favoring her left foot.

"Princess?" the captain hardly recognized her in her unkempt state. The storm had certainly not taken mercy on either of them. Their clothing was ripped to shreds and they looked a bit worse for wear.

"Captain," Melody saluted him, making him involuntarily chuckle at the unnecessary gesture.

"Are you quite alright, miss?" he motioned towards her bandaged foot.

"Better than can be expected, Captain," she smiled brightly, yet the tired look in her eyes betrayed her.

"Alright, let's get you both to the infirmary before debriefing. At ease."

"Permission to speak, sir?" Jim requested. The captain nodded. "I would like to debrief you before I head down, if I may. It's an urgent matter."

No sooner had he said that, than a larger figure landed on the deck with a loud, metallic thud. Howell narrowed his eyes, gripping his rifle in anticipation.

"You have a lot of explaining to do, Hawkins."

* * *

Jim finished his story, leaving out the part where Melody swallowed the Sea Stone. Instead, he opted to simply divulge that she had it in her possession. Silver had been detained outside until Jim could finish debriefing Henley. He was a known criminal, and Henley was not too keen on having him on his ship. Nor was he keen to the fact that he would have to mind wipe the entire crew.

"I realize that it's against protocol to expose our alien culture to the locals, but you understand that I had no choice in the matter. The princess is in danger as long as Ironbeard is on the loose," Jim boldly defended his actions.

"I have half a mind to send Silver on his way tied to his own ship. Let those pirates find him and deal with him as they please!" Howell paced the room. "If I thought for one moment that he could be trusted not to talk, I would do just that." He sighed heavily to calm himself. "However, the circumstances being what they are, I'll concede that your plan is the only choice we've got."

"Then with all due respect sir, we have to send his ship away _now_, before it's discovered," Jim reminded his captain impatiently.

"Agreed, Hawkins. You may go aboard and set the vessel's route to the opposite direction where we are headed. You are dismissed."

Jim saluted and quickly left the room. He made his way up deck and ran into Silver, who was entertaining the guards with his sleight of hand. Jim sighed. They were supposed to be guarding Silver, but he couldn't blame their curiosity.

"Jimbo! What's de verdict?"

"The captain has graciously allowed you to remain aboard, assuming you don't cause any trouble," Jim looked pointedly at his friend.

"Spacer's promise, lad!" Silver held up his cyborg hand in submission.

"Alright, wanna come help me adjust your ship's auto pilot?" Jim strolled up to the helm where the ladder still hung. He nodded at the guards that it was okay to release Silver.

* * *

"There you go, right as rain!" the ship's doctor, Romley, patted Melody's newly bandaged foot. He had needed to add a few stitches, which was not pleasant, but nothing compared to the transformation process. "Just be sure to keep off of it for the next few days, alright ma'am?"

"Yes, doctor, thank you very much. It feels better already!" Melody smiled and hopped off the gurney, making use of the wooden crutch that he had supplied. She had insisted on taking a quick bath and changing into clean clothing before coming down to the infirmary. Her lightweight coral colored dress was flowy and comfortable. She slowly made her way up the stairs and almost bumped into Jim.

"Jim! How did your meeting go? Did the captain agree to your plan?" she was glad to see him.

"Yeah, we're all set. Silver and I just finished programming his ship to fly far away from here. That should give us plenty of head start," Jim offered his arm to her and helped her up the rest of the stairs.

"Poor Silver, will he ever get his ship back?" Despite not fully trusting the pirate yet, she still felt sorry for his loss.

"Who knows?" Jim shrugged. "He's not too attached to things anyway. Comes with the job. How's your foot?"

"A little sore; Doctor Romley had to stitch up the cut. He said it should heal quickly if I keep my weight off of it."

"That's good to hear. Let's head up to the deck and make sure Silver is behaving himself."

Melody happily obliged as she was already becoming bored with being cooped up in the infirmary. Once on deck, they saw that Silver was making himself useful by checking that everything was tied down and secure.

"Silver!" Jim called to him. "Are you actually putting yourself to work?" A smile appeared on the cyborg's face before he wiped his hands on his pants and strolled over to the pair.

"Aye, Jimbo! Someone's got ta make sure dese crates are tied down properly, wit good decent knots! T'is a wonder dey 'aven't flown clear off de ship yet!" Silver joked, not realizing how right he was about that. Jim and Melody shared a knowing look before laughing to themselves.

"An' what's so funny bout dat?" Silver placed his hands on his hips indignantly. This made them laugh harder. "Don't ye two lovebirds 'ave somethin' else to do?" Silence. Both of their faces instantly turned red and they searched for something to look at besides each other or Silver. "Dat'll teach ye to laugh at dis ol' seadog!" he turned his chin up in triumph and sauntered away, leaving Jim and Melody in awkward silence.

"So, uh, what do you wanna do now?" Jim nervously scratched the back of his neck, avoiding looking at her.

"I have a chess set in my sitting room, we can play at the table in there," Melody suggested, eager to change the subject.

"Alright, lead the way, peg leg," he teased.

"Hey! I still have my leg, thank you very much!" she stuck her tongue out at him and marched across the deck.

* * *

Melody finished setting the board and looked up at Jim expectantly.

"Black or white?" she held a pawn of each color in each of her palms.

"Black," he reached for the black piece and placed it in its square on the board.

"Alright, I go first then," Melody moved a pawn from the center forward one space.

"Now why do you get to go first?" Jim squinted his eyes at her.

"White always goes first. Everyone knows that," she folded her arms and narrowed her eyes right back at him.

"Well where I'm from, black goes first." He moved a pawn forward two spaces.

"Well we're not on _your_ planet, we're on Earth, so we're playing by_ my_ rules," she moved another pawn forward one space.

"Well, well, well! Look who's getting bossy," Jim leaned in, making his move.

"I'm not being bossy! You're the one who's trying to cheat!" Melody also leaned in, challenging him.

"It's not cheating - that's how I was taught to play!"

"Then perhaps you were taught wrong, Lieutenant," Melody lowered her voice, trying, and failing, to sound menacing.

They were both leaning over the board now, faces only inches apart. Suddenly, their lips met, and neither could tell who made the first move, but neither seemed to want to break apart either. It was a short, sweet, kiss, and it left a pleasant burning sensation on their lips when they parted.

Melody's eyes were wide, and her cheeks were blushing fiercely. Jim stared back at her, his own complexion turning quite red. Neither spoke for what seemed like an eternity, until Jim finally broke the silence.

"I believe it's your move."


	8. Deal

A/N: Hey everyone, I know this is a shorter chapter, but I wanted to get something posted in the meantime while I write the next one. Thank you to everyone who has been reading/reviewing my story, it means so much to me! Hope you enjoy!

* * *

"Are we not going to talk about what just happened?" Melody looked incredulously at Jim, who was leaning back in his chair across the table from her.

"About you kissing me? What's there to talk about?" he replied smugly.

"Excuse me, Lieutenant, but I believe it was _you_ who kissed _me_!"

"That's not how I remember it, but if you want to talk about it, then who am I to reject a Princess' wishes?" he suddenly leaned forward and clasped his hands in front of the chessboard, waiting for her next move.

"I...well...hmm," she stood up from her chair, wobbling on her good foot, and scratched her chin. "I don't know exactly, but it seems like something we can't just ignore. I mean, it wasn't... unpleasant..." she blushed fiercely and looked away.

Jim tried to keep his emotions in check, and blew air out of his mouth, causing his bangs to flutter upward. _What sort of game was she playing at? Was she seriously saying that she liked kissing him?_ He would be lying to himself if he said that he didn't enjoy it as well, but this just couldn't happen.

"Okay, Melody, you deserve the truth," he stood up as well and circled the table until he was right in front of her. "Look, I can't deny that from the moment I first saw you, I thought you were the most beautiful woman I had ever seen. Not only that, but you're smart, funny, and caring. You don't treat me like I'm inferior to you, despite our different positions. I've really enjoyed getting to know you, and I wish that we could continue getting to know each other better...but the fact is, you're a princess..."

"Jim, stop," she cut him off. "Don't play the princess card. Do you really think that matters to me? I really like you! I had no idea that you might feel the same way towards me, but now that it's out in the open, I think we owe it to ourselves to see where this goes!"

"You're literally days away from meeting an eligible member of royalty who can give you a good life - something I could never provide. It's my duty to protect you, and I just can't let you throw your life away for someone like me. I would be a complete failure if I allowed that," his eyes creased with regret, knowing that they could never be together. "And besides, I'm due back at the Academy after this mission. On another _planet_. Do you really think your parents would let you follow me there?"

"If they knew how I felt about you, absolutely. My mother sacrificed her life as a mermaid and gave up her voice just to be with my father. If anyone would understand our situation, it would be her! And don't presume to know what kind of life I want; you think I _want_ to be cooped up in a castle, constantly being told what to do?" she paused for breath, giving Jim a chance to respond.

"And what is it that you want, Mel?" he looked down into her eyes, knowing he was fighting a losing battle.

"I want adventure! I know it's cliché, the princess who longs for more than what royalty can offer, but it's true! These past few days have been the best time I've had in my life - that's how dull palace life is - I would rather risk my life on dangerous excursions than spend one more minute in a castle! Please Jim, all I ask is that you give us a chance..."

"But what about the Duke? We'll be arriving at Arlington in less than three days, what are you planning on telling him?"

"I'll allow him to show me his kingdom, throw a ball, whatever he likes. Then I'll just politely tell him that I'm not interested, thank him for his hospitality, and leave."

"Leave, huh? Just like that?"

"Just like that," she confirmed. "And I'll even request Captain Howell to allow you to stay on as my bodyguard."

"He would fail me for sure, if he knew about any of this. I'm pretty sure that falling for the person you are supposed to be protecting is against protocol, especially if that person is a princess," he said nonchalantly.

"Then we don't let him find out. We keep ourselves in check, and steal little moments when we can. It'll work out," she turned her chin up and stared directly into his eyes, daring him to say otherwise.

"How can you be so sure?" he quirked one eyebrow up in disbelief.

"I told you Jim, a little bit of optimism goes a long way," she smiled innocently up at him, pleased with herself at having seemingly won him over.

"Uh huh, and what if we get caught?" he playfully caught her by the waist and pulled her in closer, until they were almost touching. Melody rested her hands on his strong arms in response.

"In that unlikely event, I'll tell them it was all my idea and that I was blackmailing you. How's that?"

"Oh, I don't like that at all. It wouldn't look good on my record that I had allowed myself to be blackmailed. Plus, nobody would ever believe that I was being forced to do anything I didn't want to do." Melody looked thoughtful for a moment before responding.

"Yeah, that's true. You _are_ pretty stubborn," she smirked up at him.

"Pfft, _y__ou're_ one to talk," he narrowed his eyes.

"So do we have a deal, or what?" her grin grew wider.

Jim suddenly leaned down and firmly kissed her on the mouth, which Melody returned eagerly by wrapping her arms around his neck and parting her lips slightly. He ran the tip of his tongue along her teeth in response and pulled her in closer. He couldn't believe this was really happening - to think that the princess actually returned his feelings towards her! He was initially so set on breaking things off before they began, yet this little minx had somehow managed to persuade him to take part in what he felt was the most dangerous situation he could find himself in!

This could only end badly, he thought, but he decided to just live in the present and enjoy this moment, however fleeting. He relished the feeling of her warm body nestled against his as she deepened their kiss. He wanted this moment to last forever...

_Knock knock!*_

They broke apart with a jolt as they stared at the door. Melody backed up, putting too much weight on her bandaged foot, and she almost toppled over. Jim was quick on his feet and grabbed her hand, supporting her back with his arm.

At that exact moment, Silver opened the door, carrying a tray of food. He nearly dropped it when he saw the sight before him.

"Silver! It's not what it looks like - she tripped..."Jim began to explain. A grin slowly formed on the Cyborg's face as he nodded in understanding.

"Whatever ye say, lad. Ah jus' t'aught ah'd bring down some dinner so's de princess didn' 'ave to make de trek upstairs again."

"That's very kind of you Silver, thank you. You may leave the tray here," Melody smiled graciously.

"T'is not a t'ing, lassie. Enjoy," he removed his hat and bowed with a flourish, quickly exiting the sitting room.

"Do you think he knows?" Melody glanced up at Jim, who was still holding her.

"Ohhh undoubtedly," Jim confirmed, not seeming too concerned. He then helped her back to her chair. "I'll go talk to him, you eat and rest your foot."

* * *

Jim reached the top deck and was immediately greeted by Silver, hands on his hips. He had clearly been waiting for him.

"Before you say anything, Silver, I know. I know it's a bad idea, I know it'll probably cost me my job, and I know you're disappointed in me."

"Disappointed? Belay that! Ah couldn' be happier for ye. Always t'aught ye'd meet a nice lass and settle down."

"Silver keep it down!" Jim whispered, looking around frantically to make sure no one had overheard. "This isn't exactly part of my job description - I could get into huge trouble if we're found out!"

"Ye shoulda t'aught o'dat before ye started makin eyes at her!" Silver tried not to chuckle at Jim's distress.

"Honestly, I tried to shut it down, but she wouldn't take no for an answer! She gave me no choice, Silver, what was I supposed to do?" Jim dragged himself to the railing and slumped over it in defeat. "She's probably more stubborn than me!" he covered his face with one arm, rubbing it tiredly.

"Ah didn' know such a t'ing was possible!" he chuckled as he joined Jim at the railing. "She seems t' like ye well enough. Perhaps it'll be good for ye, havin' a lady friend."

"So you don't think I'm crazy? You think I should just go along with it?" Jim snuck a glance at his friend.

"Aye laddy, ah do. Ah never told ye dis, but many years ago, when ah I was about yer age, d'ere was a special someone in my life. Ah didn' t'ink dat she would really be happy wit someone like me though, so ah broke things off and took off on the next ship out of d'ere. Ah can tell you dis, d'ere isn't a day dat goes by when ah don't t'ink of her. When you 'ave somethin' special like dat with someone, ye gotta be willin' to fight for it. T'is no small feat t'be sure, but t'is worth it, Jimbo."

Jim was completely taken by surprise. He had never considered what Silver was like in his youth, or what led him to a life of piracy, but he appreciated the insight that he was offering. Maybe he should heed his advice and see where this new path would lead...


	9. Questions

A/N: Hi everyone! I'm so sorry for the delay in posting this chapter. I had intended to write it right after posting the last chapter, but between getting a new puppy and finding out that my husband and I are expecting, it's been a crazy month! Not an excuse, just thought I owed an explanation xD As always, I read and appreciate every single review, as it helps motivate me to keep writing. I welcome questions, ideas, etc I love reading what you all think of the story :) Enjoy!

* * *

The next morning brought stormy skies, as a subtle warning that troubled waters lay ahead. Jim ruefully thought how apt that was - a perfect metaphor for his life as he knew it.

He was incredibly smitten with Melody, but he knew in his gut that things could not end well, much as he wished otherwise. Still, bringing her back to Montressor would have its benefits. Ironbeard and his crew was still trying to track them down, so keeping the princess close was in her best interests. There was also the stone to worry about. If he was to have any chance at keeping her safe, they needed to find a way to remove it from her. Perhaps Delbert could assist once they returned. If anyone could come up with a solution, it would be the Doctor. Jim made a mental note to contact his wife, Amelia, who was the current dean of the Academy and could make the proper arrangements to protect Melody and the Sea Stone.

"Good morning, Lieutenant!" Melody interrupted his thoughts. She strolled across the deck wearing a simple yet elegant white frock. Her sweet smile unwound him.

"Good morning, Princess," he stood at attention. They were careful to act professionally around each other while above deck. The last thing they needed were prying eyes to discover their secret give them away.

"How did your chat with Silver go last night?" she asked under her breath.

"Surprisingly well. He actually _encouraged_ me to pursue...whatever this is," he gave her a lopsided smile.

"Really? He didn't give you a hard time?" Melody didn't believe that Jim was telling the whole truth.

"No, he told me he didn't want to see me make the same mistake that he once did, when he was my age." Prompted to divulge more at her inquisitive look, he explained. "Silver had a girlfriend years ago, but he didn't feel that he would be able to give her a good life, that he would never be worthy of her, so he left and pursued a life of piracy."

"Now, who does that remind me of?" she smiled wryly, placing her hands on her hips.

"Yeah, yeah, I get it. Anyways, Captain Howell says we should be hitting land by noon today," he informed her, not so subtly changing the subject.

"Oh, excellent! The quicker we get there, the quicker we can leave!" Melody rubbed her hands together in anticipation.

"And the quicker we can deal with your..._special_ _needs_," Jim nudged her.

"Hey, no touching!" she gave him a slight shove, smiling. "So, do you have any ideas as far as the Sea Stone goes?"

"Yeah, there's an old friend of the family back on my home planet. He's a brilliant scientist, if a bit quirky. If anyone can figure out how to get it out of you, it's him."

"I certainly can't wait to meet him. Being a mermaid is great, but not when I have no control over it," she sighed with relief that Jim had a plan. What if she turned into a mermaid while she was with the Duke? That would be, difficult to explain, to say the least. She had to figure out exactly how the stone worked. Jim said that Silver was searching for the stones, and had even found one. Maybe he might know something useful...

"Have you seen Silver this morning?" she asked suddenly.

"He's probably down in the galley preparing breakfast. Why?" he eyed her suspiciously.

"No reason, just wanted to thank him for the delicious supper last night! See you later!" she left him at his post and headed to the stairs as quickly as her healing foot would allow.

Jim looked after her, narrowing his eyes. What was she up to?

* * *

Sure enough, Silver was busy at work chopping up vegetables and meat, humming an old sea shanty. His cybernetic arm converted into a flamethrower as he used it to light the stove and start frying the ingredients.

"Wow, that's a pretty useful arm you have there!" Melody couldn't help but stare.

"Well if ah had known ah had an audience, ah might've put on more of a show!" Silver hardly showed his surprise, though he was certain he had been alone only a minute ago. "What can ah do ya fer, lassie? Breakfast shouldn't be too long now."

Melody glanced around to make sure no one else was in the galley before she asked her questions.

"Actually, I have a few questions for you, if you don't mind. Regarding the stones that you're looking for..."

Silver noticeably stiffened at the mention of the stones, and also looked around the galley to ensure no one was listening in. He placed a lid over the huge skillet to keep the food warm, then sauntered over to the table where Melody had perched herself.

"An' what do ye want to know about them?" he raised an eyebrow warily.

"Well, first of all, where did they come from?"

"Nobody really knows, but some say dey were created by an ancient civilization whose knowledge was light-years before d'ere time. Dey were intended to create new land for de expansion of their people, but some saught to use dem for destruction. To protect future generations, dey decided to hide de stones all over de universe, to keep dem from ones who would jus' exploit their power for d'ere own gain."

Melody was enraptured by Silver's storytelling skills. She felt like she was back home reading a book about fantasy and adventure. It was thrilling. She had to know what else the cyborg might know.

"So, how do they actually work?"

"Each stone was crafted wit a specific element in mind. Ye got fire, earth, air, and water. Whoever was in possession of a stone was granted the ability to manipulate dat element, limited only by d'ere own imagination."

"But how would one _control_ a stone? How would they prevent it from controlling _them_?" Melody leaned in closer in earnest, unaware that her specific questions were giving her away.

"Ah suppose it would take a strong-willed mind, someone who could focus on what dey wanted wit no distraction," Silver rubbed his chin, then looked at the princess pointedly. "Why are ye suddenly so interested in de stones, lassie?"

"W-well, I know that you're looking for them, and I know that that Ironbeard pirate is looking for you, so I was just curious, is all," she stammered ungracefully, trying to cover her tracks.

"Uh _huh_...whatever ye say, lassie," Silver smiled mischievously as he straightened back up and wiped his hands on his apron before turning back to the stove to stir the sizzling veggies.

Oh man, he was on to her! Why didn't she listen to Jim? Now he surely knew that she was in possession of the Sea Stone! Desperately hoping to change the subject, she decided to see what he would divulge about his old flame.

"Um, Silver...?" she began uncertainly.

"Yeah, lassie?" he glanced over his shoulder.

"I hope you don't mind my asking, but Jim told me that you encouraged him to pursue me, because you didn't want to see him make the same mistakes as you. I was wondering, what did you mean by that?" she twirled her hair nervously around her finger, hoping she wasn't prying too much.

"Ah don't mind, lassie. In fact, ah'm glad ye asked. Ah used to be in a similar position to Jimbo, back in mah much, _much_ younger years..."

"You were in the Academy, you mean?"

"No, not that kind of position," he chuckled at the thought of himself being a space cadet and taking orders. "Back on me home planet, d'ere was a woman who ah I had known since we were children. As we got older, ah realized dat I liked her, liked her a lot. Turned out dat she liked me too! Imagine that..." he smiled wistfully to himself at the memory.

"What was she like?" Melody was once again in for a good story, she was sure of it.

"Her name was Mary, Mary Reade. She had de most firy red hair, an' a personality to match! She was beautiful, down to earth, decent, an' had a sense o' humor the likes of which would make a spacer blush. We used to go on picnics to the lake nearby an' talk fer hours, dreamin' about our future."

"So what happened? She sounds like a lovely person."

"Well, eventually ah mustered up the nerve to ask her father if ah could marry her. Long story short, he said no. She came from a wealthy family an' was thereby expected to marry someone...not like me. So ah left on the next spaceship outta dere. Ah couldn't even bring mahself to say goodbye. She must hate me, if she even remembers me..."

Melody was certain that Silver was tearing up talking about his painful decision. She felt terrible.

"She couldn't hate you Silver, if anything, she was probably more upset at her father for ruining things between you. And I'm certain that she still remembers you, it sounds like you two had a special bond. That doesn't just go away..."

"Ah hope yer right, lassie. Ah really do..."

"Trust me Silver, it's a woman's intuition. I am certain that if she were to see you again, she would throw herself at you without hesitation!"

"Perhaps to clock me in the face!" he chuckled ruefully.

"Well, maybe, at first. But then I bet she would want to pick up where you left off!" Melody wondered what she would do in Mary's situation. She would definitely be angry if Jim left her in such a manner, but she couldn't hate him. She could forgive him, if it meant that they could be together. She felt more determined than ever to make things work with Jim. And she hoped that his talk with Silver had ignited a similar fire in him.

"Alright lassie, would ye like to be the first to try this dish? T'is a new recipe ah thought ah would try."

"I would love to taste test, I'm starving!" she picked up a plate and followed him to the stove.

"You're always starving!" she jumped at the sound of Jim's voice coming from the stairwell. He chuckled at her as he strolled over to get his own plate. "So what have you two been up to?"

Melody and Silver exchanged a look.

"Nothing!" they said in unison.

"I don't think I like the idea of you two being alone together," Jim raised an eyebrow. "You're both much too mischievous."

"Let's just say I made a new friend," Melody sat down with her plate and winked at Silver.

"Yeah, I definitely don't like this..." Jim narrowed his eyes at Silver.


	10. Attacked!

Melody woke with a start. Something was wrong. _Very wrong._

The air felt thick and hot, and she could smell the distinctive scent of gunpowder. She tumbled out of her bed and peeked out the cabin door.

Smoke filled the hallway, and the cries of frantic crewmembers could be heard from above. Suddenly her door swung open, startling her, and Jim reached in to grab her hand.

"We have to go - _now_!" he said urgently.

"What's going on??" she padded along after him in her bare feet.

"We're under attack. Ironbeard tracked us down," he responded rather calmly, given the circumstances.

Melody's heart dropped into her stomach. So the pirates had finally caught up with them. She knew her father had hired only the bravest and strongest men to work on the _Rising Tide_, but she wasn't sure how well they would fare in battle against space pirates. It seemed that the odds were against them. But then, they did have one thing that the pirates didn't have...

"Jim, I need to go up to the deck!" Melody stopped and started pulling him the other way.

"Are you crazy? That's where the pirates are!" he tugged her back down their original path.

"No! I have to do something!" she wrenched her hand free of his grip and took off down the hallway. The ship was rocking back and forth from the blasts of cannon fire, and she was thrown to the floor several times, but she immediately got back up each time and ran as fast as she could. She could faintly hear Jim's cries for her to stop, but she ignored them.

Bursting onto the open deck, Melody was hit with a wave of intense heat. The ship was completely engulfed in flames, and all she could make out were the silhouettes of crew members fighting strange, ghastly looking creatures. Her heart was pounding. She needed to focus on what she could do. The fire needed to be put out - she could help with that.

She approached the nearest railing and looked out at the turbulent sea. She closed her eyes and stretched out her arms, feeling the strength of the ocean as she connected to it. She lifted her arms high above her head, and in response, the waves rose high above the ship. With a sweeping motion of her arms, she commanded the waves to wash over the deck with a controlled force, so as not to obliterate the entire structure. To her relief, the flames quickly fizzled out, leaving a foggy mist across the deck.

Lowering her arms, she looked around to see if anyone was hurt. However, no one was to be seen anywhere! No sailors, no pirates..._where did everyone go_?

"Melody!" she heard Jim in the distance. She raced towards the sound of his voice, seemingly coming from the helm of the ship. She thought she could make out the shape of Captain Howell through the swirling fog. She stopped suddenly, frozen to the ground at what she saw when she got nearer.

A looming silhouette of someone wearing a captain's clothing was indeed there, but it was not Captain Howell. She knew instantly that it must be Ironbeard. As the mist cleared around them, her breath caught in her throat as she saw that Ironbeard had captured Jim, holding him by the neck in his iron grip. Jim was struggling, but getting weaker by the second as his air supply was cut off.

"Give me the stone, child," a menacing voice came from the hulking metal form as it stretched its other hand out.

"But I can't!" she tried to explain.

"Oh yes you can, you _will_ give it to me, or else he _dies_."

"No, you don't understand! I swallowed it - it's _inside_ of me! Please, don't hurt him!" she pleaded with the alien.

"You _what_? Well, that's a minor inconvenience..." he sneered at her as he dropped Jim to the floor, barely conscious.

The next thing she knew, she was trapped in his grip. She struggled against his claw-like hand around her neck as he lifted her into the air. His eyes looked so cold, despite the fire that blazed within them. He took his sword and thrust it through her chest. She would have cried out in anguish if she could have, but his grip on her neck was too tight. She nearly fainted as he reached into her chest and pulled out the Sea Stone, pulsing with blue energy.

His iron jaw almost seemed to smile as he dropped her carelessly to the floor, next to Jim, whose eyes were wide in shock as he lay there unable to help her. They reached out to each other and clasped their hands together weakly, gazing into each other's eyes.

"_Jim...I'm so sorry...I couldn't stop him...couldn't save you_..." her eyes were drifting closed as she quickly succumbed to darkness.

"_Mel...wake up_..." his voice was raspy and weak.

"_Melody_..."

"Wake up!"

* * *

Melody sat bolt upright in her bed, gasping for air and clutching her chest. Her heart was racing and her breathing was erratic. She looked around at her cabin, confused and disoriented. The air smelled like sea salt, no trace of smoke or fire.

She suddenly realized that Jim was standing over her, looking extremely worried.

"_Jim_!!" she flung herself at him and wrapped him tightly in her arms. "You're okay! And the crew?"

"Whoa whoa whoa, settle down! What are you talking about?" he put his hands on her shoulders, attempting to calm her down. "Just breathe for a second - you're hyperventilating!"

Still confused, she just stared at him in disbelief.

"We were attacked by Ironbeard's crew! He hurt you, he took the stone from me...I..." Melody trailed off as she pulled away from Jim and stared at her chest. No scars, no pain, her clothing was still in one piece.

"I think you had a really bad nightmare, everyone's fine, there was no attack...we're fine," he reassured her.

"But it was so real! I even saw Ironbeard!" she argued. "It was so real..." she held her head in her hands and stared at blankets, the visions from her nightmare still raw and alive in her mind.

"Hey, it's okay. Just relax," he sat down next to her and held her close, softly rubbing her shoulders to console her. "None of it was real, you're safe."

She squeezed her eyes shut as tears trickled down her cheeks.

"No, no one is safe, not around me."

* * *

"Land ho!" the sailor in the crow's nest shouted down to the captain. Henley stood at the wheel and directed the ship towards the docks of Arlington. Jim quietly appeared at his side.

"Hawkins, please alert the princess that we shall be unboarding within the hour."

"Yes sir, she's still asleep, but I'll wake her."

"It's nearly noon! That's not like her," Henley remarked.

"She had a rather distressing nightmare, sir. I don't believe she's gotten much sleep."

"Very well, you may wait until she awakes. There is no rush."

"As you wish, sir," Jim saluted and headed back below deck.

* * *

Melody awoke to the smell of coffee and something sweet. She glanced over at the side table by her bed and saw a tray with a silver mug and a plate with some sort of pastry on it. She stretched lazily and pulled herself up to a sitting position so as to enjoy her breakfast.

Though her nightmare seemed like a distant memory, and the events thereafter were a bit hazy, the aching in her chest had not left her. It wasn't painful, but it was like a steady pulse, separate from her own beating heart, almost as if the Stone itself was alive within her.

What was the meaning of her nightmare? Was the Stone trying to warn her somehow? She wasn't sure exactly, but she did know one thing: she would not let it come true.

* * *

Mr Scroop was livid. He and his small crew had followed Silver's ship for quite some distance, waiting for the perfect opportunity to attack. When they _had_ overtaken the small ship, and he boarded the vessel, he could not believe his eyes.

Completely empty.

What a fool they had made out of him! He should have known Silver wouldn't make it this easy. He cursed his old captain and reluctantly contacted his new one.

"You had better have some good news, Mr Scroop," Ironbeard's voice crackled over the holo-transmitter.

"I'm sorry Captain, but they have tricked us! The ship was a decoy," he braced himself for Ironbeard's reaction.

"You fool! Remind me again why I decided to save your sorry skin from drifting off into the etherium?"

"Sir, we can still find them! There might be a way to manually trigger the ship's recall function and follow it right back to Silver, " Mr Scroop offered.

"Very well, but I also want you to make a pit stop in that pitiful kingdom that the good Captain Howell calls his home base. I want to have some insurance in case your plan doesn't work. That is all," Ironbeard commanded before signing off.

* * *

A/N: For anyone who is unaware, the character of Ironbeard was taken from the plans for Treasure Planet 2, which sadly never reached production. I did read, however, that Willem Dafoe was in consideration for the voice of Ironbeard. So that's whose voice I had in mind while writing Ironbeard's lines. Also, thank you for sticking with the story and I promise to update as often as I can, I will not leave it incompleted! Next chapter, we will finally meet the Duke of Arlington! Stay tuned :)


	11. Secrets

A/N: Yikes! I certainly did not intend to go this far without updating, but I lost my tablet while on vacation and it had all of my story notes :( So I'm trying to remember certain details that I had already planned out and making sure I put them in the proper places story wise. Thank you all in advance for your understanding, and I will do my best to update more regularly until this story is finished. On with the story! *UPDATE* I highly recommend listening to the song "I Dream of You" by Ye Banished Privateers while you read ;)

* * *

The shore was alive with activity as the Rising Tide finally docked in Arlington's marina. Servants from the castle scurried about, transporting luggage and cargo from the ship to the castle nearby as crew members disembarked.

Melody strode down the ramp from the ship carefully, followed closely by Jim. She was still weary from her fretful night of sleep, though the coffee and pastry she had for breakfast gave her a much needed energy boost. So this was Arlington...

"Ah, Princess Melody! Welcome to our humble kingdom," a middle-aged butler who reminded her of Grimsby addressed her with a deep bow, to which she curtsied.

"It is a pleasure to visit, please accept these gifts from my parents' kingdom as tokens of appreciation," Melody vaguely gestured to some crates to her left that were being pried open.

"Arlington thanks you kindly, your highness. The Duke himself would be here to greet you, but he insisted on overseeing preparations for the ball personally to ensure that everything goes perfectly. He sends his apologies, but also offers warm greetings at your safe arrival."

"That is very kind of him. When will the ball be taking place? I am afraid we hit some rather rough seas on our journey and I cannot seem to recall what the date is."

"It will be held tomorrow night, miss. Please take full advantage of the amenities in your guest suite and get as much rest as you need to before then," the butler then stepped aside and gestured to a middle-aged woman with strawberry blonde hair and freckles. "This is Constance. She will serve as your lady in waiting during your stay and will make sure you are comfortable and have everything you need."

Constance stepped forward and curtsied. "Tis my pleasure Princess, now if you'll allow me to show you the way?" Melody detected the slightest hint of an Irish accent in her warm, friendly tone.

"Thank you Constance," Melody shifted her gaze back at Jim. "What of my bodyguard? Will his quarters be close by?"

"Oh yes miss, just you both follow me and we'll get you both settled."

Melody and Jim followed Constance at a far enough distance to carry on their own conversation.

"I take it Silver is staying on the ship?" Melody asked.

"Yeah, at least for now. We do have a special watch that can disguise someone's appearance, but that's in the captain's quarters. And I doubt Howell would just let Silver borrow it."

"That makes sense," Melody nodded, completely accepting of the fact that they had this fancy technology that could change someone's appearance on a whim. It was honestly not the strangest thing she'd heard of over the last week.

"So are you nervous about the ball?" Jim glanced down at her. She stiffened.

"No, why should I be? It's just routine pleasantries as far as I'm concerned," she lied. Large formal gatherings were not her idea of a good time. Although she was a member of royalty, she had yet to grow accustomed to these staples of high society, and she didn't much care to try either.

"You're such a liar!" Jim spoke a little louder than he intended, drawing the attention of Constance up ahead.

"Is everything alright back there?" she glanced over her shoulder at the two of them.

"Yes Constance! Sorry, just making fun," Melody flashed her most innocent of smiles, all the while jabbing at Jim's ribcage with her elbow. "_Keep it down, Jim!" _It was all Jim could do to keep from laughing.

They soon arrived on the third floor of the castle's interior, and Constance showed Jim to his room first.

"I do hope this room will suit your needs, Sir?" Constance asked Jim as he tried not to openly gape at the unexpected opulence of his "room" - it was more like a small apartment! The floor was white marble and the walls were covered in tapestries sewn with rich, bold colors. There in the middle was the largest bed Jim had ever seen. It had four posters gilded in gold and looked like it could have been stuffed with feathers from dozens of geese. He couldn't wait to try it out.

"Yes, uhm, this will do just fine," he said in his most formal tone. "Thank you ma'am."

"Excellent. The Princess will be right down the hall, for your peace of mind," the lady in waiting then left him alone in his room to show Melody go her suite. _Did Constance just wink at him?_

* * *

Melody's room was was slightly larger than Jim's, with decor much the same, except her walls were made of an aquamarine marble, with a few paintings depicting Poseidon and Neptune hanging from the walls.

"Will these accommodations suit your needs, my lady?"

"Oh yes, this is absolutely beautiful." And it really was. Melody noted the large window across the room that opened to a white marble balcony overlooking the sea. She felt instantly drawn to it.

"Perfect, might I draw a bath to help you unwind from your long journey?" Constance offered.

"That would be lovely, thank you," Melody followed her to the on-suite bathroom, and almost gasped at how elegant the bath itself was. It was shaped like a large oyster shell and plated with abalone, so the inside walls of the tub shimmered with iridescent silvers, blues, purples, and greens.

"It's nice, isn't it?" chimed in Constance.

"I've never seen anything so beautiful. It's like I'm in the middle of the sea right now," Melody responded. As much as she had been dreading the thought of coming to Arlington, she had to appreciate their nautical decor.

"Why don't you go enjoy the view from the balcony while I prepare your bath?"

Melody nodded and headed back into the bedroom towards the large bay window. Once she was out on the balcony, she leaned against the solid marble railing to take in her surroundings. The sun was more than halfway across the sky, and it casted bright yellow rays of light down onto the waves below. There was a soft, balmy breeze that rustled her hair, tickling her neck.

For the first time in days, she felt calm and peaceful, and even started to drift off to sleep as she leaned on the cool marble. She thought she dreamed that a woman was singing, far away, with a strong accent that sounded much like Silver's...

"_But I dream o' you, my darlin'._

_When the nights are long._

_Where the river meets the ocean banks, that's where I belong..."_

Before she knew it, she was being shaken gently awake.

"Princess, your bath is ready now. Here, let me help ya, poor thing. You must really be worn out from your journey!" Constance was helping her to the bathroom and unlacing her dress, but Melody was still half asleep and hardly noticed. She could swear that it was Constance's voice she had heard singing that song.

The next thing she knew, she was sitting in the shell tub, practically melting into the hot water and sighing in pleasure. There were mountains of bubbles surrounding her, and they smelled like fresh lavender.

"How's the temperature Miss?"

"Oh it's perfect, thank you Constance," Melody murmured.

"You just let me know when you're finished, and I'll bring you a fresh nightgown. I took the liberty of instructing your dinner to be brought up to your room."

"You're the best, Constance." Melody felt so relaxed that she could have taken another nap, until a familiar tingle in her legs jolted her wide awake.

_Oh no. __Water - the transformation is triggered by water!_ _Of course!_

How could she not have pieced that together sooner? Every transformation had been immediately preceded by being submerged in water for extended periods of time. Her face twisted as she felt her legs draw together and melt into one another.

She glanced towards the open doorway and saw Constance putting away her things, humming to herself. Now her legs were gone, replaced with her strong, flexible tail. The bubbles would hide her secret for now, but how was she going to get out? She needed to somehow get a message to Jim. But how?

_Ugh, even if I could, there's no way Constance would let him in, and who could blame her?_

Maybe she could get Constance to deliver a fake message to Jim? Just long enough for her to get out of the tub and dry herself off? It was worth a try.

"Constance?" she called out to her.

"Finished with your bath, Princess?" She could hear her footsteps getting closer.

"Not quite, would you do me a favor please?"

"Anything Miss."

"Is there pen and paper in here that I could use? I need you to deliver a message to Jim - er, Mr Hawkins."

"Certainly your highness, give me one moment," she left the doorway and reappeared seconds later with a pad of paper, a quill, and a small towel to dry her hands with. Melody thanked her and scribbled a quick note, folding it up and handing it back to Constance.

"Please deliver this only to Jim, and right away. It's very important."

"As you wish, your highness," she curtsied and hurried off to Jim's suite.

Relieved, Melody knew she had a limited amount of time before Constance returned. Grabbing the edge of the tub, she pulled herself up to a sitting position and carefully swung her heavy tail over towards the steps leading up to the bath. Now she was out, she just needed to make it to the floor and somehow get over to that low couch in front of the bed.

She used a nearby towel to start drying herself off, particularly her tail, so as to avoid leaving a trail of water across the marble. She pushed herself off of the top step, slowly, then the next step, then the next. Finally she was on the floor, so she rolled onto her stomach and used her arms to pull her body towards the couch. She was thankful that her lungs had not yet transitioned to tiny mermaid lungs, perhaps because she hadn't had the need to breathe underwater? Maybe the Sea Stone was actually working with her for once? She didn't know, but she counted her blessings and continued to haul her tail across the room.

After what seemed like hours, she had finally made it to the couch. Fortunately it was low enough for her to pull herself up onto from the floor. She quickly slipped on the nightgown that had been neatly folded on the bed, then heard the door click as Constance returned so she frantically grabbed a large blanket from the foot of the bed and threw it over her tail.

"Ah, Miss! I wasn't expecting you to be out already. I hope I didn't keep you waiting?"

"Not at all! I was just getting hungry and figured I would get out and take care of myself," Melody put on her best innocent smile. "Did Jim get my message?"

"Yes, I delivered it personally," Constance came closer, looking unsure about what she should say next. "I think I know what's going on here. Ye have a secret, don't ye?"

_Oh no, did I leave water on the floor? Are my fins sticking out? How could she know? _

"Constance, it's not what it seems like, I -" Melody started.

"You hold a torch for your bodyguard, don't ye?" Constance winked at her, completely throwing Melody off.

"Wha...y-yes, yes! That's it, that's my secret."

_Oh, smooth, Mel! Very smooth. _She mentally face palmed.

"Not to worry, yer secret's safe with me. Though I must ask, did this happen before or after you accepted the Duke's invitation?"

"After," Melody sighed and patted the seat next to her. "It's a long story, might as well get comfortable." Constance obliged, seating herself at a close but respectful distance.

"My parents hired him to be my bodyguard on this trip, since they couldn't come themselves. My mother would have loved to accompany me, but she is pregnant so the doctor wouldn't let her travel. There was a really bad storm the first night that we were out, and I ended up having to save his sorry skin when he fell overboard."

"You saved your own bodyguard? Well now I've certainly heard everything!" Constance chuckled warmly.

"Tell me about it. He's the easiest person to talk to, and I feel like he understands me. But, I don't know what to do, to be honest. I'm not sure if my parents would ever allow me to marry someone without a title. I also don't want to be perceived as ungracious by the Duke if I turn him down, but, I want to be with Jim. It's crazy, I know..." Melody trailed off.

"Aye, lass, I know the feelin," she was letting more of her accent slip. "Sometimes, ye jus' 'ave to follow yer heart in these cases. Otherwise, ye'll regret it for the rest of yer life."

_She looks so sad..._

"Constance, why did you hide your accent at first? It's so pretty," Melody redirected the conversation to try to lift the mood.

"Well, in my line o' work, it helps if ye don't stand out too much. Besides, I didn't want people asking where I came from."

"Where _are_ you from? I have a friend who has a very similar accent."

"Aye, I opened mahself up to that one, didn't I?" she chuckled and turned to look out the window. "I ran away from home, a long, long time ago. Looking for someone who didn't want to be found. I didn't want to return home, so I traveled a bit, before finally ending up here."

Melody noted that she didn't answer the question, but didn't press further. She deserved the right to having secrets as much as she herself did. She did wonder though, the similarities between her story and Silver's were uncanny. That wasn't possible though; Constance was definitely not an alien.

"Well, I suppose yer supper should be arriving shortly, I'll go check on it," Constance stood up abruptly and was gone in a matter of seconds.

This was as good a time as any to practice controlling the Sea Stone, Melody figured. She closed her eyes tight, concentrating hard. She imagined her tail splitting into two, imagined her scales shedding to reveal fresh pink skin, and imagined her feet taking shape from her long, translucent fins. She thought she could feel a glowing warmth beneath the blanket, but she didn't want to get her hopes up just yet. She didn't have the luxury of time though, so she decided to rip off the blanket and see for herself.

_My legs! I - I did it!_


End file.
